Lettered
by Dysperdis
Summary: It all starts with a simple letter... Rated for later chapters Slash! HPTR HPLV! NonHBP Compliant!
1. 01: Lettered

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Started with the idea of Harry owling Voldemort telling him that his occlumency has an unfortunate habit of slipping when he's having sex. It's lead to this. This is chapter one, I'll have chapter two written out sometime soon, but it's 2:30, and I have a cold... gets all whiney-like  
The next chapter won't be told in letters like this, but it seemed to work shrugs  
Totally unbeta'd, but I think I did ok.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

------

July 15th, 1996

Harry Potter, known throughout the wizarding world as the boy-who-lived, and more recently the chosen one, was exhausted.

No, he was more than just exhausted, he was mentally scarred. He had just had another vision, similar to those which had plagued him over the last year, although with one notable difference.

Scowling, the young Gryffindor sat down at his desk, quill in hand. It was time to put an end to this.

Dear Voldemort,

Hey, it's the last person you ever expected to hear from here. I need to talk to you about your...um.. "activities" last night. I understand that you're making up for lost time and all, but do you think you could pay more attention to your Occlumency? Especially when you're fucking my potions professor? Seriously, that was an image I never needed to see. Ever. Although, who would have thought the greasy git was so flexible?

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

(July 16th)

Dear Potter,

You're just jealous that my sex life is more interesting than yours is. I mean, you've been on one date? Yeah, I saw that. Actually, with all that I've seen of your sex life (or lack thereof), it's only fair that I share with you. I'm sure it will be more informative than those magazines you keep under your mattress, you know that those are all staged, right? Oh, and judging by how often I catch you whacking off, you might want to consider investing in a wrist brace.

Regards,

The Dark Lord

(July 17th)

Dear Voldemort,

If you saw the disaster that was my date with Cho, I'm sure you understand why I'm not interested in repeating that experience. And no, I'm not jealous, although it is disheartening when a guy who looks like a snake gets laid more than I do. And please, for the love of god, don't share. I don't know if I'll be able to look Snape in the face again as it is.

Oh, and come on, are you really telling me you didn't jerk off while you were in school? Yeah, tell me another one. And I know that all of those shots are staged, but who cares? It's all fantasy, right, and fantasies are built on bullshit.

Cheers,

Harry Potter

(July 18th)

Dear Potter,

I hate to break it to you, but Stan Shunpike gets laid more than you. Maybe you're looking in the wrong place? I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who'd love to fuck the boy-who-lived, after all. And once Severus finishes his latest noxious concoction, the whole "snake-face" issue should be gone. I should look like a normal person, nose and all.

I think I'll share anyways. I'm sure Severus would love an excuse to take points from Gryffindor, after all.

And I'm not saying that I didn't jerk off in school, just that I limited myself to, say, once a day or so? Seriously, that much masturbation can't be healthy. And if you're going to look at porn, you may as well spring for quality.

Regards, The Dark Lord

(July 19th)

Dear Voldemort,

Wow. There is something disturbing about one's greatest enemy sending you porn. Gay porn at that- are you trying to tell me something, or are you hoping that my family will see it and do your job for you?

As for getting laid I'd rather not sleep with someone just because I'm the boy-who-wouldn't-die, or whatever the fuck they're calling me now. Really, at this point I'd say no to any and all offers out of spite, if nothing else. Or do you expect me to give a shit about a public that treats me like some kind of monster just because the Daily Prophet prints a few (totally untrue!) stories?

So, you're getting rid of the snake look, then? Great, now I'm going to have to come up with a whole new selection of insults.

I wonder, how would Snape respond to blackmail?

And I don't jerk off that often. Well, I did, for a while, but there were... extenuating circumstances.

Sincerely,

The Boy Who Wouldn't Die

(July 20th)

Dear TBWWD,

Actually, I never even considered your relatives when sending this. Muggles, right?

Really, though, it's obvious that you have at least a passing attraction to men. Or was it just coincidence that those "extenuating circumstances" came up every time you showered after quidditch?

And do I sense a bit of hostility to the wizarding world at large? I guess I have it easy after all- while they may revile me, they at least don't change their opinion of me on a daily basis. As for the Prophet, it may be a rag, but I find it very useful. Much more so than that... Quibbler? Although I can see why you would like it- after all, it seems to be the unofficial paper of "Dumbledore's Army". Cheers on that idea, by the way, although I don't much like the name.

Snape would likely respond very well to blackmail. Are you sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin?

Regards,

The Dark Lord

(July 21th)

Dear Voldemort,

Yeah, muggles. You know, Dumbledore confuses the fuck out of me. He wants me to fight for muggles, et cetera, and yet, when it comes to it, he places me with the biggest set of bigots I've ever met. Homophobic, racist, xenophobic, and, um... magic-phobic (is there a word for that?). I mean, they make Lucius sound accepting. Somewhat counterproductive, really.

And yes, I am a little hostile to the wizarding world at this point in time. Actually, I'm about one disappointment away from telling the whole lot of them to fuck off and leave me alone. Maybe I could run away to some deserted tropical island somewhere.

And can we just pretend that I have no idea what you're talking about, when it comes to quidditch?

And the Quibbler's great, once you filter through all of the crap. Then again, I am biased, Luna (the editor's daughter) is an absolute sweetheart, even if she is a bit off. Is it me, or did that sound really girly?

If I knew then what I do now, I never would have called it Dumbledore's Army. Frankly, the guy's starting to piss me off. He keeps too many secrets. I never know if I can trust him. I have the strangest suspicion that some of the "gospel truth" I've heard from him is absolute bullshit. After all, if what he said was true, you'd would have been more likely to send an army of Death Eaters than a porno mag. Of course, this could all be part of some nefarious plot, although I don't see how that would really work...

And the hat did say that I would do good in Slytherin, but I had just been introduced to Draco Malfoy, and the thought of being in the same house as him made me nauseous.

Cheers,

The Boy Who Wouldn't Die, And Is Not Planning On Doing So Any Time Soon

(July 22nd)

Dear TBWWDAINPODSATS

Really, wouldn't it be easier just to sign your name?

Anyways, Dumbles confuses the fuck out of all of us. One of these days, I'll tell you about my childhood home- how he could send me back year after year and expect me to turn into a well adjusted member of society is beyond me.

That desert island idea sounds like fun right about now. I swear, I'm going to _crucio_ the next person to ask when I'm planning on acting next. You'd think they'd know better, but no. I'm surrounded by people who either question my every move, or follow loyally, but are completely nuts. Ah, well, who expects sane people to unquestioningly follow a psychotic megalomaniac?

And no, this is not some nefarious plot. Really, what would I gain from talking to you about your wanking habits?

I know what you mean. Malfoy Jr's a git. I think I'll mark him just so I have someone around to crucio when Wormtail's busy.

Regards,

That Psychotic Megalomaniac

(July 23rd)

Dear Psychotic Megalomaniac

It probably would be easier, but really, it's not like I've got anything else to do.

You know, talking to you like this, it's easy to forget exactly who you are. There's part of me that's yelling about how I shouldn't talk to you because... well, I'm sure I don't need to list the reasons, right?

Then of course, there's this other part who sees you as just some guy who happens to be nice to talk to. Gah, it's all confusing.

Sometimes, I think I have more of a problem with the people who follow you than I do with you. Wormtail betrayed my parents and killed Cedric, Bellatrix killed my godfather, Lucius gave Ginny your old diary, and the rest of them are just all around gits who've done all they can to hurt me and my friends.

You ever wonder if there really is a god, and he just likes to watch you suffer? Well, I'm going to go bang my head against the wall a few times, see if that straightens things out or me.

Cheers,

The Boy Who Lived To Be Utterly, Totally and Completely Confused

(July 24th)

Dear Potter,

Believe it or not, I am sorry about your parents, although I feel worse about fucking up your life than actually killing them, if you can understand that. And I feel terrible about what happened at the ministry. I never wanted to hurt you, I just needed to see the prophecy for myself. I'd hoped that my Death Eaters would get the prophecy from you without anything more than a _Petrificus Totalus_ or a _Stupefy_. I figured that they'd get the prophecy, get out, and I could finally see what Dumbles was going on about, and why he was taunting me with it. Obviously, I 'd underestimated both your resourcefulness, and my Death Eater's stupidity (or in Bellatrix's case, insanity).

Sincerely,

That Evil Git

(July 25th)

Dear Evil Git,

Thanks. That actually means a lot to me. It's not every day that a Dark Lord apologizes to you, after all, is it? And I think I understand what you mean- killing someone's parents isn't exactly a "sorry" situation, is it?

And what do you mean, Dumbledore was taunting you? He didn't even bother to tell me that he knew the prophecy until after that night at the ministry.

Sorry it's so short, I really can't think of anything to say.

Cheers,

Harry

(July 25th- later)

Harry,

What the fuck was just happened? Who the fuck was that? Are you OK? Do you need any help?

If I don't hear from you in one hour, I'm coming to get you, wards be damned.

TDL

Voldemort,

I'll be fine. I'll explain it all tomorrow. Right now, I need a pain-relieving potion and some sleep- it's a good thing Madame Pomfrey sent some home with me this year.

Harry

(July 26th)

Dear Voldemort

That was my uncle. Apparently, he lost another client at work, and decided that it was my fault somehow. I'll be fine, this happens every once in a while, but it wasn't that bad this time. I'll be out of here soon enough, and I won't have to worry about him anymore.

Cheers,

Harry

(July 26th- later)

Dear Harry,

Not that bad? Harry, I've seen people get run over by the knight bus and look better than you did. How often does this happen?

Regards,

The Dark Lord

Voldemort,

It's fine. Not that often- maybe once a month lately? Can we change the subject, please?

Harry

Dear Harry,

Fine. I'll take your word for it.

Anyways, back to your first letter yesterday, Dumbles made a point of reminding Severus of the prophecy on a daily basis, stating that the knowledge within it was crucial to winning. Oh, and of course mentioning that the only way to get it would be to convince you to go in after it. He was especially persistent on that point.

Hey, Your birthday's coming up in the next few days, isn't it? The 31st?

Well, that seemed... random.

Write back soon?

Regards,

The Dark Lord

(July 27th)

Dear Voldemort,

You know, your name is really awkward. Isn't there something else I can call you? Would you hate me if I called you "Tom"? Or, since you really didn't like him, maybe by your middle name, or something?

Speaking of your name, I don't mean to cross a line or anything, but isn't that whole campaign for pureblood supremacy a little hypocritical?

Yeah, my birthday's on the 31st. Woo hoo, or whatever.

Don't mind me, I'm in a shitty mood.

Harry

(July 28th)

Dear Harry,

I'm supposed to hate you anyways, but I guess that's beside the point. Go ahead and call me Tom, if you want.

Actually, it never was a campaign for pureblood supremacy- although I'm sure Dumbles would like to pretend otherwise. It was a little bit more complex than that. You need a bit of back story first, though.

I grew up in a muggle orphanage. Frankly, it was a shithole. While I was there, I was nothing more than a freak, a disgusting queer, and, whenever the matron was feeling particularly vocal, the spawn of Satan. Growing up, I had no idea that other muggle children had it better- in fact, I thought that being starved, beaten, and generally abused was the norm. Then, when I go to Hogwarts, I was put in Slytherin. I watched all of the pureblood children being treated wonderfully, and began to connect shitty, abusive treatment to the muggle world, and kind words and care to the wizarding world. My original campaign was against wizards who married muggles, thereby (at least with my logic at the time) exposing their children to all sorts of injustices. Of course, Dumbles misconstrued it entirely, which drew in the pureblood supremacist crowd, and meant that my ideas were all painted as racist.

I actually have some ideas that could really help the world. Like, for example, the creation of wizarding orphanages. Magical children in muggle orphanages should be transfered into wizarding orphanages, where they won't be mistreated. A service to watch over magical children in the muggle world to make sure that they don't suffer from abuse due to their magic. Earlier education for muggleborns- I'm sure that Granger girl would have loved something like that. Some of my other ones, of course, were scrapped, once I figured out that muggles weren't all abusive, but can you blame me for thinking otherwise?

The rest of it seemed to spawn from a bit of brainwashing on the part of several (now deceased) parties. I spent the better part of the year after I came back trying to figure out what was really going on in both worlds, instead of what I'd been told was going on. Needless to say, I'm hoping that the misbegotten bastards who fed me all of that garbage are enjoying hell.

Anyways, that's the gist of it, and all you really need to know. Unless, of course, you happen to enjoy long winded rants?

And, totally off-topic here, but you don't exactly sound thrilled about your birthday. You want to talk about it?

Regards,

"Tom"

(July 29th)

Dear Tom,

You know, I can really see where you're coming from there. It's really kind of scary, actually.

No, I don't particularly enjoy long winded rants, having heard far to many of them from my friends.

My birthday... well, it's kind of a mixed day for me. On one hand, there's the fact that, on my 11th birthday, Hagrid rescued me from the muggles, told me that I'm a wizard, took me to Diagon Alley- where I found out that I actually had money- and bought me the first birthday present I'd gotten since I was left with the Dursleys. On the other hand, it's also another chance for my aunt and uncle to remind me of all they've done for me- gave me Dudley's hand-me-downs to wear, fed me leftovers, and, of course gave me a camp bed in the cupboard under the stairs- and all they gave up for me when they took me in. Lately, it's been an excuse to use me as a punching bag- at least for my uncle. My cousin never needed an excuse.

And this has taken a serious downturn into depressing, so I'm going to send this off before I start getting really mopey.

Cheers,

Harry

(July 30th)

Dear Harry,

Well, um, that's... rather shitty. You know, I'm really bad at comforting people. It's just never been a requirement before. I mean, what can I say? "Look on the bright side" always sounds condescending, and "I'm sorry" sounds like I pity you, which I don't think you need right now.

Maybe a heartfelt "I know what you mean"?

Damn it, you've got me at a loss for words. I'm never at a loss for words. This is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. I hope you're proud of yourself.

Regards,

Tom

(July 31st)

Dear Tom,

Wow, thank you! You know, I wasn't expecting anything from you. Although, I'm not saying that it wasn't welcome, but it was a bit of a shock. Especially that ...thing... that kissed me. What exactly was that, anyways?

I'm really going to enjoy that magazine subscription, but I'm not exactly sure how that book works.

Anyways, I've got to go, my aunt wants me to go weed the garden.

Thanks Again!

Harry

(July 31st, later)

Dear Harry,

One of the Death Eaters found that little gem in Zonko's. It's called a "kiss-o-gram", and it's supposed to temporarily conjure a pair of lips to give you a kiss. I figured you could use it, and it looked a little less frightening than the "hug-o-gram" (you figure it out).

You may have noticed that the book has twelve spaces, right? Well, each month, a magazine appears in the next available space. I figured you'd appreciate the discreetness of it.

Well, since I'm sure you have plenty to do, I'll leave you to it. Write back when you get a chance.

Again, Happy Birthday,

Tom

Harry

I'm going to kill that fucking muggle. I don't give a fuck about the order, the wards, or anything else. Can you get outside? I'm coming to get you. Tell me if you can't get outside, I'll figure out how to get you out. I'm going to fucking murder Dumbles for putting you with those people.

Tom

Tom

NO! Stay there! I'm ok... I'll be fine. If you come, then the Order will show up, and it will be a complete nightmare. I'll write to you tomorrow, ok?

Harry

Harry

There is no way in hell I'm leaving you with those creatures. That fat sack of shit is as good as dead.

Oh, god, has he ever done that to you before?

Fuck, this is all my fault. If I hadn't gone after you when you were a baby, you'd still have parents, and you wouldn't be living with a fucking rapist. I can't let you go through any more, I'm sorry, I have to get you out of there.

Tom

Tom

No, you have to stay away. If you come and get me, the Order will show up, then there'll be fighting, and people will get hurt, and I won't be able to write to you. I'll be ok, I was before, I will be now. I'm being taken to the Order's HQ in two days, I'll be fine until then.

Harry

Harry

If you need anything tonight, anything at all, tell your owl to come get me. Don't even send a note, as soon as I see her, I'll come for you. Write to me tomorrow.

Tom


	2. 02: Discovered

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Alright! Now, I'm not always going to update this quickly. Hopefully once a week minimum?

Ok, not much going on in here, just taking care of plot. It's going to take a while to get to the good stuff, so be patient.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

------

August 2nd

Harry smiled as he read the last letter Tom had sent him. It seemed that Snape's restorative potion would be ready in the next few days, and Tom was getting excited. Not that Dark Lords get excited, as Tom had so vehemently insisted, but...

There was a knock on his bedroom door. Harry hurried to shove the letter into his trunk, then dashed over to the door. He was expecting the Order to pick him up today, and had been on pins and needles throughout the entire morning. Throwing the door open, he faltered when he saw who was standing on the other side.

"You!"

------

Severus Snape was having a bad day. His breakfast had been cold, he nicked himself while slicing mandrake roots, and he'd had to sit through another one of the old coot's speeches. This though, was just the icing on the cake. The old man had decided that he was the best person to pick up the Potter brat.

Apparating to the ends of the wards around number 4, Privet Drive, Severus let out a shudder. Ugh, suburbia. _How could anyone live in a place like this?_ he wondered.

Steeling himself, the Potions Master walked up to number 4 and knocked on the door. An incredibly fat child opened the door, and upon seeing Severus' black robes, yelled back into the house, "Mom! Dad! It's another one of those freaks!" He was soon joined by an equally fat man and a scrawny woman with a horse-like face. The fat man, who's face was turning a rather unbecoming shade of purple, was the fist to speak.

"What do you want?"

Severus sneered at him. "I'm just here to fetch the Potter boy. I assume he's here somewhere?"

The fat man looked at him, frowning.

"You're here to take the freak off of our hands? Well, alright then. Dudley, take this... gentleman up to Harry's room."

------

Harry felt the blush rising up his cheeks as he met the eyes of his Potions Professor- the same professor whom he had caught fucking the dark lord last month. Severus raised an eyebrow, unsure of what exactly had caused the boy to turn so red.

"So, are you ready to go? I do not wish to spend any more time than necessary in this... domicile."

"I'll just be a few more seconds." Harry rushed over to the loose floorboard, and with a glance back at the door, lifted it up, pulling out his wand, photo album, and invisibility cloak. Rushing back to the trunk, he haphazardly tossed the latter two inside. His wand went straight into his back pocket. Finally, he opened Hedwig's cage, allowing her to fly out the window.

"Now, if we can...?" Seeing Harry's nod, Severus pulled out his wand and cast a quick shrinking spell on the trunk and cage, and headed down the stairs at a brisk pace, Harry at his heels.

------

Standing in front of 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry grumbled, "I bloody hate portkeys." The Potions Master ignored the young Gryffindor, and walked briskly into the house.

As soon as Harry stepped inside the house, he knew it was a mistake. Everywhere he looked brought back another memory of his godfather. It was all too much to take. Before Harry could both, though, Ron and Hermione ran up to him.

"Harry! Finally! How've you been? Have the muggles been treating you right? Did the greasy git try anything? How's..."

"A-hem"

The excited red-head stopped talking at the sound of his mother clearing her throat.

"Harry, dear, it's nice to see you. Would you like something to eat?"

Harry shot a grateful look to the matron of the Weasley clan. "Yes, please."

"Alright. Ron, show Harry to his bedroom. Hermione, would you be a dear and help me in the kitchen? Harry, why don't you go freshen up?"

Sighing, Ron grabbed Harry's arm, not seeing the way the brunet winced. "C'mon, we've all got our own rooms this time around."

Walking up the stairs, Harry noticed that Ron was unusually quiet. Breaking the silence, Harry turned to his friend, "So, what have you been up to?"

Ron paused for a moment, and then looked at Harry. "Well, there is one thing, but I should probably wait until Hermione's around to tell you..."

"What? Did you finally ask her out?" Ron's blush gave Harry all the answer he needed. "Well, it's about time! How'd it go?"

"She said yes" came the mumbled response.

"Well of course she did. She's only had a crush on you since fourth year."

"That's what she said." Ron grinned at his friend.

"Well, I'm just gonna get changed and unpack. I'll meet you in a few minutes."

After Ron left, Harry pulled out his wand and unshrunk his trunk. Pulling off his too-large tee-shirt, he tossed it in the corner of the room. As he was digging through his trunk for another shirt, he heard the bedroom door open.

"Oh, shit, sorry!" came the embarrassed voice of Ginny Weasley. Her embarrassment was soon replaced with concern, however, when she noticed the bruises that Harry was trying (unsuccessfully) to cover. "What happened to you?" she demanded.

"It's nothing! I'm fine, just a little sore, that's all." Harry lied.

"Bullshit, Harry. Your entire back is yellow. Who did this to you?"

"It's fine! It's none of your business," he snapped, "I can take care of myself."

"Fine then!" Ginny stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

------

Once she was outside of the room, Ginny stopped. _There has got to be some way to help Harry_, she mused, _and I wonder... yes! That should work! _

The girl changed direction suddenly, rushing to her room to write a letter to the leader of the light, one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

------

Meanwhile...

_Riddle House, Little Hangleton_

"My Lord, the Potter boy has been delivered to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. I've also been informed that they plan on going to Diagon Alley in two days to buy their school supplies."

"Excellent, Severus. Now, when will the potion be ready?"

"It will be ready tomorrow morning. I assume you'll want to take it immediately?"

"You assume correctly. Now, about Potter... have you noticed any oddities in his behaviour?"

"Actually, yes. When I went to pick him up, he wouldn't stop blushing. You wouldn't happen to know why that is, would you my lord?"

Voldemort just laughed.

------

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I need to speak to you as soon as possible. It's about Harry. I'm worried about him. When he arrived here, I noticed a fair number of fading bruises and other injuries covering his body. I'm worried about his safety. Thank you for your time._

_Sincerely, _

_Ginevra Weasley_

Ginny gave the letter one last look before tying to the foot of Ron's owl, Pig. "Take this to Professor Dumbledore, will you? And wait for a response?"

The little owl chirped, and flew off.

------

Harry sighed and threw himself on the bed. Ever since Ginny saw the bruising yesterday, she'd been watching him. She watched him while he ate. She watched him while he read. She watched him while he played chess with Ron. It was so blatant that even Ron, who generally missed most aspects of human interaction, commented on how it seemed that Ginny still had a crush on Harry. It didn't help that Snape was giving him odd looks, either, or that Ron and Hermione kept finding excuses to sneak off to snog. Seriously, it was enough to drive anyone crazy. grabbing his pillow (it was easier than moving his head), he heard a crinkle. Curious, he opened the pillowcase and pulled out a letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_It's me. I told Severus to put this somewhere where you'd be the only one to notice it, so if you're reading it, I guess he did good. _

_So, now that I have my own good looks back, I was wondering if you wanted to meet up for a butterbeer or something. I know you're going to be in Diagon Alley tomorrow, so if you're interested, meet me at the Leaky Cauldron. I'll be in the corner opposite the Diagon Alley entrance. If you can't sneak away, don't worry about it._

_Regards,_

_Your Friend_

_Your Friend. Was it true, do I really think of him as a friend? Not the Dark Lord, not just some guy?_ Harry wondered. _Yes, I think I do._

Feeling much better, Harry quickly stripped out of his clothes and tossed on his pyjamas. It looked like he had something to look forward to after all.

------

Meanwhile...

Ginny opened the letter Dumbledore had finally gotten around to sending.

_Dear Ginny,_

_I know you may be worried about young Harry, but be assured, he is perfectly safe with his muggle family. I've been keeping my eye on him, and have found no reason to be concerned. _

_Regards, _

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Bullshit_, Ginny thought, _Absolute fucking bullshit. Well, if he won't look out for Harry, I guess I will._

------

Diagon Alley was just as packed as ever. Harry, who had no money with him, made his way to Gringotts, accompanied by Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. As he reached the teller and presented his key, he heard someone yell his name.

"Mr. Potter! We've been trying to contact you for months! We have some forms that you must fill out! Don't worry, it will only take a moment, and you can head straight to your vault afterwards."

"Alright, then. I'll see you all in a few minutes?" He directed the last at his three companions.

"Yeah, we'll be waiting here for you."

The goblin directed Harry to a plush office. After shutting the door and waving for him to sit down, the goblin started talking.

"So, you're the famous Harry Potter? Well, I'm Geirshank. I'm not sure if you've been made aware of this, Mr. Potter, but you happen to be the sole heir of Sirius Black- your godfather, I believe?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, as such, you now have access to the Black family vaults. I just need you to sign these forms, and then I will give you the key. Would you like to inspect the vaults while you're down there?" At Harry's nod, he smiled.

"Alright. Sign here, here, and here. Also, we need one drop of blood for verification purposes, don't worry, it can't be used anywhere else- here you go, just prick your finger and let the drop fall here... and we're done! Now, let's get you to your vaults and you can be on your way. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, actually... I'm wondering, how were you trying to contact me?"

"Well, since you are a minor, we've been trying to contact you through your magical guardian- Dumbledore. I don't suppose he's passed any of this information on to you, has he? In any case, one of the forms you signed allowed us to owl information directly to you. I don't suppose you'd want us to let Dumbledore in on that little fact, would you?"

"No, not particularly, I guess. Thank you, though."

"Oh, it's no problem. We appreciate confidentiality here, after all. Now, off you go. Griphook, take this young man down to his vaults 687 and 711."

Turning to follow Griphook, Harry asked the more taciturn goblin, "Is he always that talkative?"

Griphook sighed, "Unfortunately."

------

After going to Gringotts, the four went to Flourish and Blotts first, picking up their school books. Harry, who had somehow managed to get an O in his potions exam, was taking seven subjects: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Astronomy. Ron was taking six subjects, having gotten a P on his potions exam. Ever the over-achiever, Hermione was taking all of the same classes as Harry, except Astronomy, as well as Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies.

After going to the Apothecary, Harry turned to Hermione and Ron, who had been making googly eyes at each other the whole time.

"Why don't you guys go to Fortescue's or something?I think we'll be alright without you- right Ginny?"

Ginny caught on right away. "Yeah, Harry's right. I'm sick of watching you two flirt."

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, only slightly put out, "That's not very nice."

"Well, it's true. I mean, c'mon, who wants to see their brother making eyes at, well, anyone?"

Hermione turned to her boyfriend. "Ron?"

"Yeah. We'll meet up with you at Fred and George's later, OK?"

"Great. Now, go!" Ginny practically shoved the two towards the ice-cream shop.

"God, those two are sickening." Ginny murmured. "I mean, I know they're in love and all, but damn."

Harry just raised an eyebrow at the young red-head, who blushed.

"I'm just sick of running into them snogging every time I turn around. Anyways, do you want to do something, or what?"

"Actually, I was just going to head for a butterbeer or something. I got some interesting news at the bank, and I haven't really had a chance to think about it..." Harry trailed off, looking apologetic.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll head to Gred and Forge's now, then. You want to walk me?"

"It would be my pleasure. "

5 minutes later, as Harry was walking away from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes towards the Leaky Cauldron, he hummed to himself, pleased. He was so focused on his meeting that he missed the girl trying (and failing) to follow at a discreet distance.

------

Tom was bored. He'd been at the same table for the last hour. He'd been unwilling to move, afraid that he might miss Harry's entrance if he did so. There were four empty butterbeer bottles in front of him by the time Harry showed up. Catching Harry's eye, he smiled and nodded. Grinning, Harry sat down, and looked at the empty bottles in front of him.

"What? I've been waiting here for two hours now. I think the barman's getting a little suspicious. Oh, and now that you're here, I'll be right back." He nodded at the bottles, and then inclined his head towards the WC.

Harry chuckled and sat down. He had to admit, Tom looked pretty good. He looked a couple years older than he had in the diary. His hair now reached his shoulders, and he wore it loose. He wore a plain but stylish black robe. The biggest difference, though, was his smile. He no longer looked tense and dangerous, like he did before. No, this time, he looked genuinely happy.

Leaning back, he noticed that he could see the whole pub from this corner. The pub was fairly empty, with a hag sitting in another corner, and a trio of wizards drinking butterbeer and going over paperwork. He turned to watch another person enter from Diagon alley, a short witch in a hooded cloak. As he watched, a lock of red hair fell out of the hood, and he felt his stomach clench.

Ginny. The one person who would recognize Tom. Fuck.

He was just trying to come up with a way to get her out of there when Tom got back.

"Fuck, Tom, you've got to hide." Harry hissed.

"Wait, what? What's going on?"

"Ginny Weasley followed me. She just showed up. Tom, she knows what you look like, and... Oh fuck, she saw us."

Indeed, Ginny's hood had fallen back, and her face was an unhealthy pasty white. Thinking quickly, Harry jumped up, grabbed Ginny, and pulled her out into muggle London.

------

"What the fuck is he doing here?!" she hissed at the brunet.

"Um, it's a long story. I need you to promise you won't tell anyone or make a scene or anything."

"Excuse me? There's a fucking Dark Lord in there, and you're asking me not to make a scene?"

"Look, Ginny, it's complicated. If I promise to explain everything to you inside, can you at least promise to think about it before freaking out?"

Ginny appeared to think about it for a minute. "Do you trust him?"

"About as much as I trust anyone else, Ginny. Look, I hate to say this, but if I have to, I will _obliviate_ you."

"Fine. But this better be good, or else."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Harry lead Ginny back into the pub.

------

Ginny sat down and turned to Tom. "So, why are you and Harry so buddy-buddy all of a sudden?"

"It's kind of a long story. Last month, Harry sent me a letter. It seemed that my Occlumency slipped while I was... occupied."

"In other words, he was busy fucking Sn..." Harry started before Tom clamped his hand over the younger man's mouth.

"Anyways, Harry sent me a letter asking me to be more careful. I responded with a letter taunting him about his lack of sex life. Somewhere in there, we managed to work through a few issues."

Harry snorted.

"Was there something you wanted to add, Harry?"

"Nope, I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Absolutely positive?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"All right then. Anyways, we talked about our pasts, public opinions, the forces that warped me into that insane, megalomaniac git and my subsequent return to sanity, Dumbledore, the idiocy of Death Eaters, and anything else that came up. I even apologized to him- although you never heard me say that. Eventually, we became friends. Then, I saw a few things going on-"

"Are these the same things that left Harry covered with bruises?"

"You saw those? Yes, it was. And, since Harry seems to be attempting a non-verbal, wandless Avada Kevadra on me, I think I'll change the subject. Anyways, I managed to get a final note delivered to Harry, asking him to meet me today if he got away from you all. I assume that his attempts to get rid of you were rather obvious?"

"Actually, no, but I've been planning on keeping an eye on him, so of course, I followed him."

"You know, it's always nice to sit around and listen to people talk about you, wouldn't you agree?" Harry interjected.

"Well, I had to explain everything to her, didn't I?"

Harry pouted.

Tom rolled his eyes. "No, don't do that... brat. Fine. So, how was your day?"

"Well, I got some interesting news in Gringotts today. Apparently, Sirius made me his sole heir. The goblin... Geirshank?... told me that they've been trying to contact me for a while, but Dumbledore hadn't bothered to let me know. It's bloody frustrating, dealing with that man sometimes."

At that, Ginny nodded. "I know what you mean. Um, don't be angry, Harry, but I kinda sent a letter to Dumbledore after I walked in and saw those bruises...? And, um, he kinda sent a letter back saying that there was nothing to be worried about, because he'd been keeping an eye on you? I know, I know, I shouldn't have butted in, but I was worried, and it's obvious that there's something wrong, and if he's not doing anything about it..."

Harry interrupted her rambling.

"Ginny, it's ok. Yeah, I'd rather you not go behind my back, but I do know why you did it- it did look pretty bad. And frankly, Dumbledore's reaction doesn't surprise me. Hell, my first Hogwarts letters were addressed to 'the Cupboard Under the Stairs'- he obviously knows that the Dursleys treated me like shit."

At that, Tom interrupted "Treated you like shit? That's putting it mildly. I'm still planning on killing that fucking tub of lard you call an uncle, that vile disgusting ra-" He slammed his mouth shut suddenly upon seeing Harry's glare.

"You know, I think it's about time we met up with your Mum and Dad, Gin. I'll talk to you later, Tom." At that, Harry stood up, and walked stiffly towards the entrance to the Alley. Tapping on the proper brick, Harry started towards Fred and George's shop, with Ginny trailing behind him, a confused look upon her face.


	3. 03: Confessions

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'. Although, again, there isn't much going on. But I did manage to lay the groundwork for the relationship! And it's only September 14th in the story, there's still plenty of time left.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

You know, insomnia can be a good thing. For you, anyways, because when I can't sleep, I write. Of course, it can also be a horrible thing, because when I don't sleep, you can usually tell.

The _abeovulto_ potion is my own creation. The name is based in Latin, but it was really awkward, so I changed it so it's no longer accurate. Hooray for artistic license!

And I'd like to take this time to ask if anyone is willing to beta for me, because I _know_ I had issues in this chapter. But then again, I'm a perfectionist, so I'm always going to find some issues.

------

September 1st

Ginny sighed as she sat down in an empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Ever since that day in Diagon Alley, Harry had been avoiding her. She knew it had something to do with that last bit Tom had said about his uncle. She'd gone over the conversation a hundred times in her head, and she still couldn't figure out what had sent him off. _Boys_, she thought, _why do I even bother?_ She looked up as Luna and Neville entered the compartment.

"Hey, Gin, you mind if we sit here?" asked Neville, tentatively.

"No, go right ahead. How was your summer?" Ginny grinned, thankful for the distraction.

------

Ron and Hermione were of at the prefect meeting, leaving Harry alone again. That was perfectly alright with Harry at this point, though. He'd been on tenterhooks for weeks, waiting for Ginny to figure out what Tom had been about to say. He really didn't feel like being on the receiving end of her pity. He curled up in the corner of his compartment, ready to pass the time by dozing off, when the door opened, and he heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, Harry!"

Harry sat up, stunned. "Professor Lupin? What are you doing here?"

Remus Lupin smiled. "It seems that Albus had a harder time than usual finding a Defense teacher, so he offered the job to me again. I'm still not quite sure how he pulled it, but somehow he even got it okay'd by the ministry. So, how have you been? You've been rather reclusive as of late."

Harry tried to grin at the werewolf, but couldn't quite manage it. "Ok, I guess. I just haven't felt like dealing with people. And besides, if I stayed in my room, I didn't risk running into Ron and Hermione snogging." At this, he managed a grin, and leaned over to whisper conspiratorially. "It's rather scary watching them. I keep wondering if one of them is going to pass out from a lack of air."

Remus let out a snort at this. "Well, I was hoping to catch a quick nap before we get there. You don't mind, do you?"

"Nah, I was actually thinking of sleeping myself. Maybe I'll manage to keep out of trouble that way." the young Gryffindor jokes with an impish smile.

"You do that then "muttered the werewolf as he dozed off.

------

"So, what's up with you and Ginny?" Neville asked as he dug through his trunk for his pyjamas

Harry looked up from where he was lounging on his bed. "Wait, what? Where'd that come from?"

"Oh, I sat with her on the train. Every time your name came up, she blushed and got quiet. I think she fancies you, really."

"Nah, we just got into a bit of a disagreement. Haven't been talking much since then. You know how it goes." He shrugged, and laid back again. "Well, I think I'm off to bed, it's been a long day. G'night."

"G'night, Harry," came the response.

------

"So, we're going to need two chasers and two beaters this year. So, I guess if we have tryouts on the 7th, and we can start practicing..." Harry tuned his friend out. He'd heard this talk almost daily since Ron had learned that the was to be the captain of the quidditch team. At this point, he could almost recite it word for word.

"..You listening, Harry?" the red-head frowned. He hated to see his best mate tune out like that.

Before he could respond, a flurry of owls entered the great hall, dropping off the days mail. Harry looked up just in time to see a familiar owl drop a letter. Catching it before it landed in his cereal, Harry frowned. What the hell is he doing, writing to me here of all places?

"Hey, Harry, who's that from?" Hermione bent over, looking ready to snatch the letter out of Harry's hands.

"No one in particular" he said, stuffing the letter into his bag. "So, Defense first?"

---

Defense Against the Dark Arts was particularly enjoyable, despite being with Slytherin. Professor Lupin had decided that it was high time that the students of Hogwarts learned to duel properly. So, wary of the disaster that was Lockhart's dueling club, Lupin set out to teach his students the basics of dueling behaviour, before setting the students to practice. As he left the classroom, Harry felt better than he had in weeks. While he was cooped up at Grimmauld place, he didn't have much of an opportunity to work off his pent-up energy, and dueling gave him a change to let off some steam. After a quick lunch, Harry ran up to Gryffindor tower to avoid listening to Ron's quidditch tryout speech again, under the pretense of getting his Care of Magical Creatures text.

Once he was in his dorm room, he decided it was time to see why Tom was writing.

_Dear Harry,_

_Are you still mad at me? I'm sorry I went off like that, I really am. I didn't mean to mention anything in front of your friend... Ginny, was it? _

_I know you're probably giving me a lecture on the risk of writing to you, but I had to talk to you. It's been incredibly dull here with no one to talk to but these idiots. I figure that Jasper can get in and out without drawing too much attention, but if you're still nervous, I'm sure I can find other means of contacting you._

_Oh, so, my big news! Guess what? I'm in Hogsmeade! Next Hogsmeade weekend, you'll have to come by and see the "handsome new bloke at Honeydukes" (not my words- some nice witches happened to speak a little too loudly). Yeah, I get to serve the little kids, but at least it's something to do. No one ever mentioned that my chosen occupation is incredibly boring, you know. I swear, there'd be less of us if people knew how incredibly dull it was. _

_Regards,_

_Your Friend_

_PS: Share the latter half of this with your friend. The last thing I need is for her to freak out in the middle of Hogsmeade._

Upon reading the letter, Harry nearly burst out laughing. Indeed, Tom must have been bored to consider coming out to Hogsmeade- and to actually get a job there? It was mind boggling. Still grinning like an idiot, Harry grabbed a quill and a bit of parchment and penned a reply.

_Dear Tom,_

_Yeah, we're good. I haven't talked to Ginny much, though- she's still trying to figure out what you were talking about, and I really don't feel like answering her questions. And I think alternate means of communication might be better- although, are those involved in the other means of communication aware of the circumstances? If not, you may want to clue them in. _

_I'll tell Ginny about the new job before dinner. Hope it's more entertaining than your last gig- you sound like you need a bit of a change. _

_I'll see you on the next Hogsmeade weekend, then? Try to stay out of trouble until then. I'll write to you later- I've got class soon._

_Cheers,_

_Harry_

Reading it over, Harry decided that it sounded fine. As soon as the ink had dried, he rolled up the parchment and rushed off to the owlry, hoping to get the letter sent off with enough time to get to Care of Magical Creatures.

------

It took two days for him to hear back from Tom. After potions (during which Snape was unusually subdued, not having taken any points from Gryffindor during the entire lesson), Harry was asked to stay behind for a minute by the potions master. Staying in his seat, Harry watched as Severus paced across the floor, becoming more and more agitated, before stopping in front of the younger man.

"What kind of game are you playing?" asked the professor, eyes on fire.

"I'm not sure what you mean, sir." Came the response.

"I know you can't be that dense. Writing letters back and forth to... him! What on earth has gotten into you? Don't you realize how dangerous this is? Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?" Severus was just about screaming at this point.

"Sir, I didn't mean for anything like this to happen! I was just frustrated... you know, his Occlumency shields have a habit of breaking when he's-" Harry stopped, blushing.

"When he's what? What is it Potter?"

"Erm, well when he's... you know.. being intimate..." the Gryffindor murmured, turning bright red.

"When he's.. oh!" The Potion's Master went deathly white, realizing what Harry must have seen. "Well, then, that's..erm, a little different." He paused, took a few deep breaths, and seemed to regain his composure. "That doesn't explain why you seem to be friends with him."

"I'm not exactly sure how that happened, actually. It started off as just trading insults, then we started venting to each other, and then he saw a few things happen, and got really protective, and now, I have no idea what's going on." Harry sighed. "Trust me, you aren't the only one who's confused."

"So, you feel the best way to go about it is to trust the Dark-Fucking-Lord? Are you out of your mind?"

"I trust him about as much as I trust anyone else. At least, with him, I know who he is, and what he's done. As far as I can tell, he has lead me around with a trail of bullshit, unlike some other wizards I know." Harry stood up. "Look, professor, I know that this seems stupid, and reckless, and just plain idiotic. If you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than listen to you regurgitate what I already know, _sir_." At that, Harry stormed out of the room. _Bloody greasy git, thinks I'm a fucking idiot._

------

At dinner, Harry sat and picked at his food. He was still pissed off at Snape for treating him like an idiot. _I can take care of myself! I've done so for 16 years, after all_. Harry snorted as he poked his mashed potatoes.

"Hey Harry, what's wrong? Is everything alright?" Hermione asked, leaning over to her friend.

"It's fine. I'm just tired. I'm think I'm going to head up to the tower now." Harry got up to leave.

"Alright. If you want to talk about anything, I'll be up in a bit, ok?" Hermione said, biting her lip.

"I'll be fine, 'Mione. Just not used to dealing with Slytherins, is all. I'll see you at breakfast." He grinned at her, and left the great hall.

He was half way up to the tower when a voice behind him called out, "Mr. Potter, a word, if you would?" Harry turned around to see his potions professor, a sneer firmly on his lips. Rolling his eyes, he followed the man to the nearest empty classroom, which the professor first locked and then warded.

"I was asked to pass this on to you. I hope, for your sake, that you know what you are getting into." Snape sneered, but couldn't hide the worry in his eyes.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, sir. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know the date of the first Hogsmeade visit, would you?" Harry asked, keeping his voice as neutral as he could.

Severus raised his eyebrow. "I believe it will be on the 14th. I assume I do not want to know why you are asking?"

"Well, sir, you probably don't but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough anyways. Now, if there isn't anything else..?"

"You're dismissed, Potter. I'm sick of looking at you." the Potions Master scowled. _Bloody Gryffindors with more guts than bloody brains. Idiots, the whole lot of them._

------

"What!?" Ron screeched across the common room.

"I told you, I'm not playing quidditch this year. Lifetime ban, remember? I'll help you train, if you want, but I can't actually play." Harry responded coolly. He'd been over this with Ron at least a dozen times, with the red-head brushing him off each time in his excitement. It seemed that it had finally hit him.

"But we need you! Honestly, without you, we're toast!"

"No, you're not. Ginny's a fine seeker. And I said I'll help you practice and everything. It will be fine- all this means is you're going to have to work for the cup this year." With that, Harry turned to his potion's text, where he was reading about appearance altering potions.

_"While the most well known appearance altering potion, the polyjuice potion, allows one to take on the form of another individual, other potions, such as the abeovulto potion, allows one to take on the appearance of a whole new person, by subtly altering facial features, such as eye colour and bone structure, as well as altering hair colour and length..."_

Harry looked up in time to see a pissed of Ron storm up into their room, leaving the rest of the Gryffindors assembled in the common room stunned.

Ginny, who was sitting by the fireplace, turned to Harry. "Well, I guess we're going to have to train our asses off this year." She grinned, and stood up.

"Hey, Harry, do you have a minute? I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Yeah, I guess. We've still got some time before curfew. Outside?"

"Sure, that sounds good." The two headed towards the portrait hole, ignoring the rude sounds made by certain male classmates.

Once they were outside, Ginny turned to Harry.

"So, why have you been avoiding me? You've barely stopped to say two words to me since August, and even then, it was only to tell me that your friend is working in Hogsmeade. What's going on?"

"Look, last summer was... complicated. A lot of stuff happened, and I really don't want to talk about most of it. I really don't want to have to answer questions about what happened, and I know you're planning on asking." Harry slumped against the wall. "I haven't been trying to hurt you, or anything, Gin, you're my friend. I'm just frustrated by everything that's going on. I guess trying to isolate myself hasn't been that good of an idea, has it?" Harry smiled. "So, how's life been treating my surrogate baby sister?"

"Baby sister, is that all I am to you?" Ginny asked with mock outrage. Harry nodded solemnly. Ginny poked him in the side, and then leaned back against the wall beside him.

"Your baby sister has been bored. Hermione used to be the only girl around who wasn't a complete ditz- and now she's going out with Ronnikins, and I can hardly get two words out of her. So, I've been stuck with the ditz squad in there. Really, it's been dull." Ginny sighed, and slid down the wall, so that she was sitting and hugging her knees. After a moment, Harry slid down to sit beside her. "And of course, there's the blokes. Really, don't you ever get the urge to slap some sense into them? Maybe tell Seamus and Dean to stop pretending that they aren't dating, and shove Neville and Luna into the room of requirement together until one of them asks the other out? It's irritating, that's what it is. And the blokes in my year- they don't even bear mentioning. I mean, they're all just gross! Really, you're the only guy in Gryffindor worth looking at- it's too bad you're gay."

Harry sputtered at that. "I am not gay! Dammit, why do people keep saying that?"

Ginny thought for a minute. "Well, it could have something to do with the fact that you were totally checking out your friend there at the Leaky Cauldron. Or the fact that I found a rather interesting book not quite tucked under your mattress." The girl grinned evilly as she jumped up and ducked Harry's outstretched hands.

"What the hell were you looking under my mattress for?" Harry yelled, grabbing again at his red-haired friend.

"I was bored. If you think that's bad, you should see what Ron has under his!" Ginny squealed, as Harry caught her and started tickling her mercilessly.

"Oh, god, I'm afraid to ask. Please don't tell me. I'm sure I don't want to know." Harry stopped, out of breath. He'd missed just goofing off, and spending time with Ginny just reminded him of all he had missed over the last few months.

"Hey, misery loves company, and since I'm scarred for life, you should be too." Ginny panted. "He has photographs of Hermione. Taken at Grimmauld Place. In various locations."

Harry froze, a shocked look on his face. "Oh. Alright then. Since we're sharing our scarring incidents in life, you want to hear what provoked me to write that first letter?" He leaned over to whisper in the younger girl's ear.

The look on Ginny's face was priceless.

------

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend, and Harry was excited to say the least. He didn't want to admit it, but the prospect of seeing Tom again was exhilarating. No carefully coded letters, no glares from Snape, and no worries about the old coot finding out and putting a stop to this- for Harry's own good, of course.

Yes, Harry was ecstatic. That was, of course, until he tried to leave.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but your form is no longer valid." Professor McGonagall looked at Harry, lips pinched.

"What? But, Sirius signed-"

"That's the problem. Unfortunately, the form is legally no longer valid. I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, I truly am, but I can't let you go. Maybe we can find a way in time for the next trip."

Ginny grabbed Harry's arm. "Damn, Harry, I'm sorry. You want me to take a message down, or..?"

Harry turned to Ginny, and pulled her aside. "Go to Honeydukes, and tell him to head to the cellar. I'll be there as soon as I can." Wide-eyed, Ginny nodded.

"Be careful, Harry."

"I will, Gin. Don't worry about me. Go on, now, have fun. I'll be fine." Harry grinned at his surrogate sister.

Nodding to her, he made his way up to the tower, where he grabbed his cloak and the marauder's map. With a quick check of the map, he was on his way to the one-eyed crone.

------

Tom was pacing the cellar. Where is he? Did he get caught? He was about to go back up and ask Ginny if she was sure that Harry was coming when he heard a noise in the dark.

"Harry? Is that you?" He asked tentatively.

"No, Tom, it's some other sixth year who decided to take the secret passage to Honeydukes." Harry shook his head, before realizing that he was still under the invisibility cloak, which he pulled off and tucked away in his pocket.

"So, think you could give us a bit of light, there, Tom?"

"Oh, right. Sorry about that." Tom grinned sheepishly. Inside, he could hear a voice screaming, _What is wrong with you? You're a bloody Dark Lord for Merlin's sake! You aren't supposed to fall apart whenever you run across a pretty face!_ Shaking his head, he turned to the younger man and grinned. "So, the beacon of all that is light, good, and cute and fluffy, sneaking out of school? Tsk, tsk. I think someone's been a bad influence on you."

Sitting down on a crate, Harry grinned back. "Yep, and you can't even claim credit for this one. I learned about this particular passageway from Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs."

"Wormtail, as in that bloody rat?" asked Tom, flopping down beside the young man.

"Unfortunately."

The two men fell silent, unsure of what to say next.

It was Harry who broke the silence first.

"So, I'm just wondering, and you don't have to answer this, but what exactly was that between you and Snape?"

Tom blushed. "Honestly? The result of too much firewhiskey. From what I remember of that night, we were both sitting around, bitching about how long it's been since either of us had gotten laid, when one of us pointed out that we were both single, horny, and gay, so why not?"

Harry snorted. "And you were bugging me about my sex life. Bloody wanker."

"Hey, I may be a wanker, but I still get laid more than you. And I'm fucking reviled." Tom replied, pretending to be hurt.

"Yeah, yeah, everyone gets laid more than poor Harry. Rub it in, why don't ya?"

"So, why aren't you dating that Ginny girl, then? You two seem close."

"That's the bloody problem. She's like my baby sister. Although, she'd be happy to set me up with someone- she already has everyone else in my dorm paired up."

Tom chuckled at this. "And who do you think she'd set you up with?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "God only knows. I'm afraid to ask. I love her, truly, but I'm not giving her another excuse to meddle in my love life. You know that she decided to check under my mattress, to see what kind of porn I keep? Of course, she managed to find your birthday present to me- which I do love, by the way, don't get me wrong- but now she's off trying to find a nice guy for me, which is just not a good idea in a place like Hogwarts. I really don't feel like finding myself on the cover of the Daily Prophet should the wrong people find out."

"Ah, yes, I forgot about your loving fan base. So, if you didn't have to worry about the idiots of the world, who would you be with?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. I've actually been avoiding this subject, for obvious reasons. It would have to be someone who's honest with me. Someone who doesn't see "the boy who bloody well won't die". Someone who doesn't push me to do whatever the public at large wants of me. Other than that, I don't really care." Harry sighed, and leaned back onto the stack of crates behind him. "Well, no you know what I want. What about you?"

Tom looked over at Harry, and then looked down at his feet. "That's tough. Right now, I'd say someone who made me fight for them. Someone who didn't want to fuck me because they might get a bit of power out of it. Someone who cares for me, not someone who's afraid of what I might do. Unfortunately, I think I bollixed that one up proper. It's fucking depressing sometimes, you know? I swear, it's like I spent years walking though a fog. Looking back now, I just want to go back in time and kick my own arse. I feel like everything I went through since I was 15 or so happened to someone else, and I just happened to go along for the ride. And that part of me- the part that wanted power, that wanted to rule the world, that wanted to hurt you- started to die around the time I got my body back. I just want to be Tom Riddle, damn it! Not some fucked up Dark Lord, just an average guy." Tom sighed.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to rant at you, I'm just frustrated. I'm really not sure what to do. I have to keep this Dark Lord persona around, or else the nutters like Bellatrix would run rampant. You remember how you wrote in that one letter that you thought that there was a god, and he likes to watch you suffer? Well, that's how I've felt for the past year." The older man leaned back against the crates and closed his eyes. _Fuck, I didn't mean to say all that. I probably scared him away. I wouldn't blame him if he suddenly realized that he had to leave. After all, no one wants to deal with someone who's as fucked up as me, even if he believes me, which he probably doesn't... _He stopped his internal monologue when he felt a hand on his arm. Looking over, he saw that Harry had turned to face him. Vibrant green eyes met pale blue. Harry reached around Tom with his free arm and pulled him close.

"It's ok, Tom. I'm here for you, and I'll be here for you when you need me."

With that, Tom Marvolo Riddle did something he hadn't done since he was 15. He cried.


	4. 04: Reactions

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

:Parseltongue:

------

September 14th

With that, Tom Marvolo Riddle did something he hadn't done since he was 15. He cried.

Harry held on to Tom as the older man cried. Eventually, once his sobs had slowed, the older man looked up at the young Gryffindor.

"Why do you trust me? I've never given you any reason. All I've ever done is hurt you."

Harry smiled, blushing a little, and tapped his scar. "Actually, I cheated. I can kind of feel your emotions, and I can tell when you're lying to me. I noticed it at first because I could tell when you were pissed off, but after a while, I could pick up on your more subtle emotions. And when you lie, your emotions don't match your words."

Tom let out a snort. "It figures. I try to kill you, and instead, it turns you into some kind of lie detector. And there goes my crowning achievement." He flopped his head back down onto Harry's shoulder. "You know, this is really comfortable. I don't think I'm going to move any time soon, alright? You're just going to have to stay here."

Harry rolled his eyes, pulled out his wand, and cast a quiet _tempus_. Looking at the smoky clock face that appeared, he saw that he still had several hours before he would be missed.

"Fine by me. Although, aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Who, me? Not really. Today's my day off, I just told the old man that I wanted to hang out here to meet up with a friend from Hogwarts. He's probably forgotten that I'm here. Besides, he's, erm, sympathetic, if you know what I mean."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "A supporter in the shadow of Hogwarts? Seems pretty precarious to me."

"Well, actually, he's more of a supporter of his brother who happens to be a Death Eater. Nepotism truly is alive and well." Harry snorted at that. "Hey, it's true! Haven't you ever heard the saying, "It's not what you know, but who you know"? Hell, I've been working off that premise for years. Or I was, at least, until Lucius got his arse thrown in Azkaban."

"Yeah, well, he deserved it. He's an utter git, and he almost got Ginny killed back in second year."

"I never said he wasn't a git. And yes, he did deserve it. Honestly, I feel sorry for Draco. The kid never even had a chance."

"Mmm-hmm" said Harry, stifling a yawn. "Hey Tom, not to say you aren't interesting and all, but I need to move before I fall asleep here."

"Yeah, yeah. Make me lose my pillow." Tom grumbled, sitting up. Harry stood up and stretched.

Suddenly, Tom stood up. "Hey, Harry, you want something to eat?"

Harry looked over at Tom. "Um, sure, I guess."

"Great. Stay here, I'll be right back." Tom grinned, and dashed up the stairs into the main store.

Harry just shook his head, and walked back to where he had been sitting before. Tom was strange, alright. Confusing. It was like he was trying to make up for fifty-or-so years of homicidal insanity in as little time as possible. Still, he was cute... _Stop that,_ his inner voice admonished. _Tom needs a friend now, not some hormone-driven maniac!_ Harry sighed, and wondered when his conscience started sounding like Hermione.

Tom came bounding back down the stairs, arms full of sweets. "One of the perks of working in a sweet shop, " he said with a grin, "all the junk food you can stomach!"

Harry chuckled and reached for a chocolate frog. Opening it up, he tossed the frog into his mouth before looking at the card he got. "Hey, it's the old coot." Tom looked up and snorted.

"You know, he'd have an absolute fit if he knew where you were right now." Harry thought about it for a moment, and started laughing.

"Then again, it might almost be worth it to see the look on his face." Tom joined in.

The two of them sat there, eating sweets and joking until Harry had to leave.

After Harry had gone back through the passageway, Tom sat down on the crates and smiled. _Merlin, there's something special about that boy._

------

Severus Snape had seen a lot in his 38 years on earth, but never had he seen something like this. The Dark Lord Voldemort was... humming! And, when he wasn't humming, there was a big, silly grin plastered across his face! And most shocking of all, the man who's name sent shivers down the spine of the entire wizarding world, who was responsible for more mayhem and destruction than Severus cared to think about had just giggled! There was something desperately wrong with this situation, and the Potions Master thought he knew what it was.

"My lord, how are you faring in your new body?"

"Absolutely wonderfully. Severus, you are an absolute miracle worker!" The dark lord grinned.

"And... everything else is going well, I assume?"

"Yes, yes. It couldn't be better."

"Alright, my lord. Is there anything else you need from me before I return to the castle?"

"Yes, actually. I have another letter- would you be so kind as to deliver it?"

"Of course, my lord."

------

"Mr. Potter, a word, if you would?"

Harry, who was on his way to lunch, groaned. He was not in the mood for another lecture from Snape. Really, the man gave the same lecture each time he delivered a note! The least he could do would be to offer some variety.

Harry turned around and followed his potions professor, who made his way to the nearest empty classroom.

-------

Draco Malfoy was having a bad day. First, he had been forced to deal with Pansy Parkinson, who had been planning their wedding since they were 8. Honestly, if he was going to be forced to marry some vapid bint, at least it should be an attractive vapid bint! Then, Crabbe and Goyle had attempted to start a conversation with him. That was always a torturous experience. Now, finally, he had escaped from all of those idiots by hiding in the corner of a classroom, and who should show up but the head of his house, with the golden boy of Gryffindor in tow! _At least_, he thought, _I might get some entertainment out of this. _

------

Snape quickly threw up privacy wards before exploding at Harry.

"Potter, what exactly is going on between you two?" Severus roared as he paced. "First, I'm sent to deliver letters back and forth like a bloody carrier pigeon. Now, I get to Riddle House to give my report, and I find him humming. _Humming_, Potter! The Dark Lord does not hum, nor does he wander around with a big, silly grin on his face. He's been like that since the Hogsmeade trip last Saturday. I know you weren't in the castle then, so tell, me, what exactly happened?"

"Nothing! I mean, we just sat and talked for a while, and he ranted a bit, and then got hyper, and then we sat around and talked a bit more. That's all!"

------

Draco nearly fell over when he realized the implications of this. _Potter and the Dark Lord - talking? Spending time together?_ He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the dangerous amount of pressure he was putting on the bookshelf.

------

_CRASH_

"What the fuck?" Yelled Harry.

"Who's there?" Severus ran over to the toppled bookshelf. Sitting there, amongst the spilled books and splinters, was a very frightened Draco Malfoy.

"What the hell are you doing in here? Bloody idiot!" Screamed Severus at the cowering blond. "Sneaking around and eavesdropping, what are you, a child? Little brat, you're lucky it was me who caught you!" Taking a deep breath, Severus continued, much quieter. "You would be wise to forget anything you heard here, young Malfoy. If any of this were to get out, I could not assure your safety. Now, get out of my sight!"

Draco didn't need to be told twice. Rising to his feet, he made his way out the door in record time.

"Are you sure he'll keep quiet about this?" Harry asked, concerned.

"He's a Slytherin, Potter. He'll keep quiet out of a sense of self-preservation. He knows what's at stake otherwise."

"So, Tom's really wandering around grinning?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Yes, Potter. He's been wandering around with a big, stupid grin that looks a lot like yours. Here, he wanted me to deliver this to you."

Harry snatched up the letter. "Thank you, sir! If that's all, I'll be on my way, then?"

"Yes, yes, Potter. Go, get out of my sight."

Severus shook his head as he watched the Gryffindor wander away, head in the clouds. Honestly, he was surrounded by absolute idiots.

------

"Hey, Ginny!" Harry called to the girl as he stepped into the common room. The red-head turned towards her friend, and smiled.

"Hey, what's up?" She looked Harry over, noting the grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, nothing much. Can I talk to you, alone?"

"Yeah, sure, just let me pack up my stuff. Owlry?"

"Sounds good, I'll meet you there." Harry practically bounced out of the room, causing Ginny to grin. _Oh, yeah, he definitely has to share_.

------

"So, spill it. What's got you all bouncy?" Ginny smirked at her surrogate brother. She hadn't seen him this happy in a long time- since before Sirius had died, as a matter of fact.

"Oh, nothing much. Apparently, Tom's been wandering around humming and grinning like an idiot since Saturday, and Draco Malfoy is deathly afraid of me. It's been a good day."

"Wait, back up." Ginny frowned."What's this about Malfoy?"

"Oh, he overheard part of the conversation me and Snape were having, and then knocked over a bookshelf when he heard that I was spending time with Tom, and now he's afraid I'll set Tom on him if he looks at me wrong." Ginny started to laugh, she couldn't help herself.

"And what about Tom?"

"I don't really know. He sent me a letter, though, I'll tell you after I read it." Ginny looked over Harry. _Hmm, maybe they'd be good for each other. I wonder..._ Harry noticed the look she was giving him.

"Ok, Ginny, what is it?"

"What's what?" Ginny smiled innocently. Harry, who had seen that innocent smile before on numerous occasions, wasn't buying it.

"Whatever you're planning, count me out." Ginny pouted at Harry, who just laughed and threw his arm around her shoulder. "C'mon, Gin, it's a beautiful day. I'm sure you have better things to do than try to plot out my life."

Ginny just smiled.

------

"Hey, Potter, we need to talk." Harry looked around for the source of the familiar drawl. Spotting it, he nodded.

"Can I help you, Malfoy?" Harry stood up, earning shocked glances from Ron and Hermione. The trio were in the library, working on a Herbology essay. Ron's shocked expression quickly turned into a scowl.

"Sod off, Malfoy, we're busy here."

"Now, that's not nice. I only want to speak to Potter for a moment. Alone." Ron's face started turning red, and he was about to add something else to the conversation when Harry stood up.

"Fine. Make it quick, I don't have all night." Hermione and Ron gaped. "Don't worry, I'll be right back." Harry rolled his eyes as he followed Draco to an abandoned section of the library.

Tossing up a quick privacy charm, Draco turned to the Gryffindor. "I want to make a truce. No more fighting, no more tricks, no more baiting each other, just a truce. We can stop fighting, and I'll even stop insulting your friends over there." Draco babbled nervously.

Harry snorted. "And would this have anything to do with a certain conversation you overheard yesterday? Tell me, if you hadn't heard that, would you still want to call a truce?"

Draco blushed. "Look, I'm sorry I overheard that. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, I swear. I was just trying to avoid a couple of idiots," He glanced meaningfully at Crabbe and Goyle, who were standing not too far away, "and I never plan on telling anyone. Look, just think about it, alright?"

"We'll see," came Harry's reply as he walked back to his friends.

Hermione waited until Harry had sat down before asking the obvious question: "So, what did he want?"

"A truce." Ron snorted, and Hermione looked puzzled.

"Yeah, right. The git wants a truce. There's a pile of bullshit if I ever heard one." Ignoring Hermione's elbow to his ribcage, he continued. "So, did you tell him where to stuff it?"

"Actually, no. I think this may be legit. I'm letting him squirm a bit before I give him an answer, but I think it sounds like a good idea. At least it's one less person I have to fight, anyways."

"What? You know he's probably in cahoots with V-Voldemort. This is probably some kind of trick, you know, to lure you in, then they can kidnap you, and sent you to the great evil git himself!"

"Or, maybe, he's just sick of fighting. You know, we've been fighting over the same things since we were 11, maybe it's time to grow up a little."

"Whatever, mate. Just don't expect me to like him or anything." Ron sighed, turning back to his essay.

------

Harry and Ginny approached Malfoy the next day at lunch.

"Hey, Malfoy, we need to talk." Malfoy looked quizzically at the young red-head, but followed the two out of the great hall and towards an abandoned classroom anyways. Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map, and, ignoring Malfoy's questions, checked to make sure that to room was empty. Only once he had done that did he relax.

"So, what's she doing here?" Draco was bewildered. There was no way a Weasley could be in on this, could there?

"You'll see. Alright, Malfoy, exactly what do you want?"

Draco looked at Ginny, and Harry nodded. "She knows already."

Taking a deep breath, the blond began. "I want a truce. No more baiting each other into fights. No more random, spiteful name-calling and pranks, and," he swallowed, "when we do get into fights, it's between us. No outside parties, no tattling, and once we settle it, it's over."

"In other words, if we get into a fight, you don't want a dark lord breathing down your neck." Draco nodded.

"And who does this truce extend to?"

"You and your friends, Granger and Weasley, and I guess, Ginny here too." Harry nodded. "And on your side?"

"Me, of course, and Crabbe and Goyle. The rest of Slytherin house aren't likely to agree to a truce, per say, but they all follow my example, so they should behave. So, do we have a deal?" Draco asked, extending his hand.

"Yes, I think we do. " Harry took Draco's hand and shook it.

------

Hermione frowned."So, Harry, when you said you and Draco made a truce, what exactly did you agree to?"

Harry counted off on his fingers. "No baiting each other into fights. No random, spiteful pranks and name-calling, and when we do get into a fight, we settle it without running off and getting anyone else involved."

Hermione nodded. "I think we can all live with that." Harry smiled. He wasn't sure how his friends would take the news. Lately, he wasn't as close to them as he used to be, and he could never read them as accurately as he could before.

Ron looked up, curious. "What happens if he breaks his end of the bargain?"

Harry grinned. "Trust me, Ron, he won't."

Ron just shook his head, turning back to his plate. "Bunch of nutters, the whole lot of you."

------

Harry smiled as he re-read the letter Snape had handed him earlier that day. Tom was bored again, and couldn't wait for Harry to visit, pointing out that Harry, with his knowledge of the school, didn't have to wait until Hogsmeade weekends to come and spend time with him. Harry snorted at the oddity of the situation. He was in one of the safest schools in the world, where he was sequestered to keep him safe from a dark lord. Unbeknownst to the administration of said school, he was considering breaking out to go spend time with the dark lord, who really wasn't that much of a dark lord after all, just really bored. He was still thinking about it when he heard shouting coming from the common room. tucking the letter back into his trunk, he ran downstairs to see what the commotion was.

He was shocked to find Ron, red-faced, screaming at Seamus and Dean.

"You fucking perverts! What the hell is wrong with you? Bloody hell, I've been rooming with a couple of poofs! There is no way I'm staying in that room with you sickos any more! Unnatural freaks!" Ron turned away, storming out of the portrait hole, likely to find Professor McGonagall. He was followed shortly by Hermione, who was quite pale.

Harry turned to Ginny, shocked. "What happened?"

Ginny blanched. "Seamus and Dean just... admitted that they're going out, and Ron, well, he took it bad. Shit, why do I have to have such a prick for a brother?"

Harry turned to Seamus and Dean, who were still cowering. "Are you blokes alright?" Dean nodded, but he was still shaking. Seamus was a pasty shade of white.

"I never thought that Ron would be so... so..." Dean couldn't finish the sentence. Harry went over and reached out.

"Ron's a git." Looking up, he frowned as he noticed that all of the occupants of the common room were staring. "Alright, the show's over." A murmur rippled through the crowd, and soon they were gossiping animatedly. Harry sighed. At least they aren't staring any more. "You sure you're fine?" The two boys nodded, seeming a little more sure of themselves. "Alright, if Ron comes back, me and Ginny can deal with him. Don't worry, he's an arse, but I'm sure we can knock some sense into him... literally, if we have to." Seamus smiled at the joke, and, taking his boyfriend's hand, walked up the stairs to the dorm.

------

"Bloody Hell, Ron! What's your problem?" Harry glared at the taller red-head. Ron had stayed out for several hours before he had attempted to sneak back into the tower. Hermione had, wisely, decided to stay out of this argument.

"My problem? We've been sharing a room with a couple of bloody queers! It's gross! I mean, what would have happened if they had tried to make a move on one of us?"

"Well, first of all, they're still Dean and bloody Seamus. The same guys we lived with for how many years now? They haven't changed or anything. Second, are you incapable of saying no? Is there some reason that, should some guy hit on you, you can't tell them that you aren't interested?" Harry was absolutely livid at his room mate.

"That's not the issue! They're perverts! And why are you defending them?" Ron sneered at the brunet. "Are you a bloody poofter, too?"

Harry gaped. "You know what, Ron? You're unbelievable. I don't know why I even bothered." Harry stormed off up the stairs to the dorm.

Ron turned to his sister. "And you! I though you had a thing for Dean! Why are you defending this?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Because I'd rather see my friends happy. Obviously, you couldn't give a shit about your friends, though. The only thing you give a rat's arse about is snogging your girlfriend!"

"Just because I don't think that two guys-" Ron started, but Ginny interrupted him.

"It's not just that, you moron. What about your other friends? What about Harry? Remember him? The bloke you claim is your best mate, but you barely even talk to? The bloke who came back to Grimmauld Place black and blue last summer, but you didn't even-" Ginny shut her mouth. _Fuck! Harry was going to be pissed off about that slip._

"Wait, what? What do you mean, he came back black and blue? I didn't notice anything!" Ron looked at her, confused.

"That's exactly the point." Came Ginny's cold reply, as she stalked off to her dorm room.

------

"Hey, Harry, wait up!" came the call as Harry walked toward the great hall for breakfast. Looking back, he saw Ron running to catch up with him.

"What do you want? Come to scream a little more?"

"Harry, I'm sorry-"

"No, Ron. I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Harry glared at the taller boy.

Hermione came up to Harry, and put her hand on his shoulder. "Harry, we need to talk, really. You've been distant, ever since this summer. We're sorry for avoiding you and ignoring you, but we're here now. Now, tell me, what happened this summer?"

"What do you mean, what happened?" Harry turned to the girl.

"Well, we were arguing with Ginny, and she mentioned something about bruises-" Harry broke in.

"It's none of your business. Now do me a favor and sod off." Harry started to turn.

"Harry, we're worried about you! What happened to you?"

"Nothing that didn't happen to me every other summer." Harry ended the discussion, stalking away from the great hall. He had lost his appetite.

------

_Hey, Tom,_

_I need to get out of here for a while. Meet me in the cellar in 20 minutes?_

_-Harry_

Harry blew on the note to make sure it was dry, before tying it to Hedwig's leg. "Give this to Tom, will you, girl?" The owl nipped affectionately at his finger, and was off.

------

Checking the map one final time, Harry tapped the hump of the one-eyed crone and whispered, "_Dissendium._" Climbing into the passageway, Harry made his way through the tunnel into the cellar of Honeydukes. Clambering out at his destination, he made his way to the crates he had used as a seat last time.

He had been sitting in the dark for probably ten minutes before someone descended the stairs into the cellar.

"Tom?" he asked, quietly.

:Shh, Harry: came the response in parseltongue:there's an auror upstairs. The metamorphmagus, what's her name? If she caught you here...: Tom trailed off.

:Oh, shit, I'm sorry. I just needed to get out of that bloody castle before I end up strangling someone.:

Tom let out a quiet snort, moving to sit beside the younger man. :Is it Malfoy again?:

:Nah, we decided on a truce. Of course, that didn't come until after he overheard a conversation between me and Snape. Now, he looks like he's about to piss himself whenever I look at him funny. It's really amusing.: Tom chuckled at the picture. :Actually, it's Ron. The guy who claimed to be my best friend for over 5 years.: Harry quickly described everything that had gone on over the last two days, ending with Ginny's slip-up and Hermione's nosiness.

:...And now, I just really don't feel like dealing with any of them. Besides, I was looking for an excuse to sneak of and talk to you. You're much better company than most of them.:

:Only most?: Tom asked.

:Fine, Tom, you're the best. However, you're only _much_ better than most.: Harry stuck his tongue out at the older man, who responded by reaching over and mussing Harry's hair.

:Hey! I finally go it to sit flat, you wanker.: Harry pouted. Tom chuckled, and tossed him arm around the younger man's shoulder. Harry heaved a sigh. He really did like it when Tom touched him. Now, if only he would do it more often, and maybe, more intimately...

:Harry?: Tom jerked Harry out of his train of thoughts. :You alright?:

:Yeah, just thinking.: Harry looked up at Tom.

:Well, don't hurt yourself.: Tom grinned at the Gryffindor.

:Har-dee-har. Aren't you just hilarious?: Harry grumbled.

:Oh, come on, smile, it was funny.: Harry rolled his eyes, but his lips did move into something resembling a smile.

:Well, I guess that will have to do: Tom leaned back against the crate behind him, trying not to think about how cute the young man leaning on him was. _I'm old enough to be his grandfather, for Merlin's sake! I shouldn't fancy him!_

:Knut for your thoughts: Harry broke in. Tom blanked for a minute, before saying:I was just wondering if that auror was still here.:

:Sure you were.: Harry tapped his scar. :Liar.: He leaned in, even closer. Tom swallowed roughly. _Nope, I shouldn't be doing this, I should stand up, I should- oh, Hell _he thought as he felt Harry's lips on his own.


	5. 05: Halloween

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

------

Harry had never been happier in his life. He'd just spent the last half hour snogging Tom, and he felt like he was walking on air. He walked up to his dorm, a big, stupid grin plastered onto his face. Nothing could bother him now.

Or so he thought.

"Hey, Harry!" Hermione's voice cut through his happy stupor. He rolled his eyes. What did she want now?

"We've been looking all over for you! Where'd you disappear to?"

Harry just looked at her.

"Fine, you don't have to tell me now. I'm really more worried about you and Ron." Harry snorted.

"I really don't want to talk about Ron right now, 'Mione." Hermione huffed.

"Well, he really needs someone on his side right about now, especially when he's dealing with... them."

"Them?"

"You know, Dean and Seamus."

Harry looked at Hermione, confused. "Yeah, what about them?"

"They're queer, Harry!"

"So?"

"So, it's just... eww! Don't tell me that it doesn't gross you out!"

"Hermione, I honestly don't give a damn about who anyone sleeps with, as long as everyone's above age and consenting. Really, is this any of our business?"

"So, you're siding with them. That's just great Harry, I hope you're proud of yourself." At that, Hermione stalked off.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Bunch of bloody nutcases, the whole lot of them."

------

Climbing into the common room, Harry noticed Dean and Seamus sitting in one corner. Nodding at them, he walked over to where Ginny was sitting doing homework. "Hey, Gin. How's it going?"

Ginny sighed. "Just wonderful. Have you run into Hermione yet?"

"Oh yeah, she gave me a nice lecture on not supporting the queers, or whatever. I think she's pissed off at me, because I told her that I really don't give a fuck." Ginny giggled.

"Besides, I never thought you went in for that whole self-loathing thing." Harry growled and swiped at her, while the red-head giggled and ducked.

"Hey, speaking of which, we gotta talk." Harry grinned, his emerald eyes glittering mischievously.

"All right, lead the way."

Harry lead the girl up into the dorm, ignoring the look Seamus gave him. "I think we're giving off the wrong impression, Gin." he whispered conspiratorially.

"Indeed." Ginny looked back at Seamus, inclined her head towards Harry, and winked. Harry snorted.

"C'mon, you trouble maker."

------

Neville Longbottom felt like shit. He didn't remember the last time he felt so sick. So, deciding that it would be better not to deal with people, he spent the day in bed with the curtains drawn. He was awoken several hours later by the sound of voices in the room. Still drowsy, Neville listened, trying to figure out who was out there.

------

"All right, Gin, what I tell you now cannot go any further than this room. Got it?" Harry sat on his bed, looking solemn.

"I get it, Harry. A thousand stampeding Hippogriffs couldn't get me to speak of it."

"Erm, OK then. So, at the end of last year, Dumbledore told me the prophecy."

"Wait, he knew it all this time, and he didn't bother to tell you? Bloody hell, he put you through all of that for nothing?"

"Yeah. But that's not the point. You need to know the prophecy before anything else will make sense. " Harry took a deep breath, and recited the prophecy.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches  
Born to those who have thrice defied him  
Born as the seventh month dies  
And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal  
But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not  
And either must die at the hand of the other  
For neither can live while the other survives  
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord..."_

"So, anyways, as I'm talking to Tom- who still doesn't know the prophecy- I've noticed that he refers to the Dark Lord as a separate person. And at least once he's mentioned that, since he came back in fourth year, it's felt like some part of his personality had died- the power-hungry lunatic. And I'm wondering if Dumbledore's interpretation of the prophecy is as accurate as he thinks. I mean, the first bit is straight forward, but the ending...

"Ginny, what if the Dark Lord was just an aspect of Tom's personality? I mean, over the summer, I managed to see part of a programme that talked about something called "Multiple Personality Disorder". Maybe it's something like that, with the Dark Lord being one personality? I mean, it makes sense. While the Dark Lord is around, I couldn't actually live, and Tom certainly couldn't live. But, maybe I'm talking out of my arse. You know, trying to justify being friends with him..."

"Harry, listen to me. What do your instincts tell you?" Harry frowned.

"He's not Voldemort any more. I can feel it." Harry unconsciously rubbed his scar. "You know, I can feel his emotions though that link of ours. I know when he's lying, and he hasn't really lied to me yet, for the most part."

"For the most part?" Ginny raised one eyebrow, snorting as Harry went pink.

"Yeah, well, I kinda snuck out earlier, and we were talking, and I asked him what he was thinking about. He's a bad liar, by the way." Harry grinned, then flopped back.

Ginny snorted. "Oh, come on. That can't be the whole story. What happened next?"

"Um, well, we were talking anIkinnakisshm." Harry mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I kinda kissed him." It came out as a whisper, and Harry's face was a brilliant red.

"Well, finally. It took you long enough." Harry was about to respond when someone sneezed.

Harry looked around frantically. He stopped as he noticed that the curtains on Neville's bed were shut.

"Nev? Is that you?" Neville's face poked out from behind the curtain, hair messy, nose red, and eyes bleary.

"Why you guys have to talk so loud. 'M sick." At that, the boy pulled his head back into the privacy of his bed, and sneezed again.

"Nev? What exactly did you hear?" Ginny asked.

"No' much. Dumbledore made a mistake, You-know-who's not You-know-who anymore, and Harry's gay."

Harry gaped. "Ok, first of all, I'm not gay. I like girls too, you know. Second, Nev, you need to keep this a secret. No one can know, got it?"

"Yeah, sure. Probably a hallucination from the medicine, anyways. Now, you gonna be quiet, or what?"

------

Harry and Ginny were in the library, doing homework. At least, Ginny was doing homework. Harry had pulled out a think text on mental illnesses, from a wizarding perspective.

"Hey, Gin, look at this. In the 1940's, a group was doing a study on the causes of multiple personality disorders, but were shut down after the Ministry received accusations claiming that they were implanting false personalities. Lets see... Johann Westhover and Artemus Zephyrwilde... " Harry froze. On the page in front of him were four smiling faces, two of them very familiar. The caption underneath read "J. Westhover and A. Zephyrwilde with Albus Dumbledore and an unnamed test subject. Records regarding the subjects in these experiments have unfortunately been lost." The test subject was none other than Tom Riddle.

Harry quickly marked his page in the book, and slid it into his bag. He would have to talk to Tom about this later.

------

Ron and Hermione were continuing their campaign against Dean and Seamus, much to the chagrin of everyone else in Gryffindor tower. It got so bad after a while that anyone with any common sense vacated the common room whenever one of the two entered. Harry and Ginny took to spending all of their free time in the library with Neville, Luna, Dean, and Seamus, as well as any other Gryffindors who felt like avoiding the vocal duo.

"Hey, Nev, what affect does the acidity of the soil have on mandrake roots?" asked Ginny, who was working on a potions essay.

Harry tuned out the conversation buzzing around him. He'd been searching for information on the personality studies for weeks, and every fact he had come up with scared him a little bit more. According to some of the books, the men had found a way, using a corrupted form of legimency, to force a person to develop multiple personalities. It wasn't identical to the actual mental condition, but it was close. In some cases, the artificial personality would become dominant, and each personality would contain whatever features the creators wanted. _Like, for instance, an obsessive hatred of muggles and muggleborns_. What was worse was that Albus bloody Dumbledore appeared to let the use Hogwarts students as test subjects! Harry felt sick. If his suspicions were correct, not only did Dumbledore let them turn Tom into a homicidal maniac, he actually actively encouraged it.

"...Right, Harry?" Harry looked up, to where everyone was staring at him.

"Er, what? Sorry, I missed that." Seamus grinned.

"Nah, don't worry about it. We're just talking about what a shitty couple you and the red-head make." The entire group laughed, earning a glare from Madam Pince.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "It would work out a lot better if Harry wasn't gay." Harry glared at the red-head, while Dean and Seamus snorted.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not gay?" she rolled her eyes. "No, seriously. A person's sex just isn't a deciding factor for me. Not that it's anyone else's business, anyways."

A stiff silence descended over them. After a few moments, Dean turned to his boyfriend.

"Well, Seam, it looks like you owe me a Galleon."

"Wait, you two were betting on my sexual orientation?"

"Well, yeah. It's not like there's anything else to do around here, is there?"

Harry rolled his eyes and stood up. "Well, as much as I hate to rob you of your entertainment, I'm gonna go."

------

Harry walked out to the broomshed, intent on grabbing his firebolt, heading out to the pitch, and flying. He couldn't believe his friends. _Bloody wankers, the whole lot of them_. Unfortunately, he was focusing so hard on the incident in the library that he walked straight into Malfoy, who also appeared to be headed to the broomshed.

"Hey, Potter, walk much?" growled Malfoy from under Harry. The tentative truce between the two had kept them from actually getting into any fights, but they still weren't _nice_ to each other or anything.

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy. I don't have the patience today." Harry clambered up and straightened his robes.

"Another run in with the happy couple?" At that point, everyone knew that there had been a split between Ron, Hermione and Harry, as there had already been two screaming matches and one brief scuffle, but no one was quite sure what was going on.

Harry snorted. "If only. I had to leave before I ended up beating on Dean and Seamus. Oh, and Ginny, too. Bunch of bloody gits."

Draco laughed as he climbed to his feet and continued on his way to the broomshed. "Found out about the betting?"

"Yeah, I- wait, you know about that? How big is this thing?"

"I hate to break it to you, Potter, but half of Hogwarts is avidly following your sex life."

"Bloody hell! I know it's boring around here, but damn." There was a pause, while Harry tried to wrap his head around the situation.

"So, which bet was is?"

"There's more than one?"

"Hell, yeah. There's the main one, which is whether you're gay, straight, or bisexual. Then there's subsidiary bets in each of those groups regarding who you fancy. It's actually a complex system. I think a bunch of Ravenclaws figured it out." Harry stared at Draco, shocked.

"Bloody hell... Is there anyone in the bloody castle who's not interested in my sex life?"

"I dunno- Snape?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm shagging the Dark Lord or something."

Draco started laughing, then froze. "You aren't, are you?"

Harry laughed. "Nah, I'm not shagging anyone. I'm guessing big money's on me shagging Ginny?"

"Nah, the Weaslette bet on 'Gay', and hasn't bet on anyone for your fancy."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I swear, I've lost count of all the times I've told her I'm not gay. I think she does it just to piss me off." Harry grabbed his broom from the shed, climbed on it, and flew at an easy pace toward the pitch. Draco was right behind him.

"So, not to change the subject or anything, but what's with you and the happy couple?"

Harry snorted. "Oh, Ron pitched a fit when he found out about Dean and Seamus. Hermione gave me a nice lecture on how we have to stick together to avoid running afoul of "the queers" or whatever. It's pretty pathetic. I'm surprised that the whole school doesn't know. Who knows, maybe the old coot's running damage control."

"What, Dumbledore? He hasn't stepped in to bring peace and harmony back to the golden trio?"

"Nope. You know, I haven't seen him since the sorting, actually. It's weird." The two students were circling the pitch, flying at the same easy pace.

"So, does this mean I still have to be nice to the couple?" Draco looked at Harry.

"Well, technically, yeah, but, you know, you could always mention the reason they're so unpopular to someone who might take offense to it, or someone with a big mouth..." Draco chuckled.

"How underhanded of you. Are you sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin?"

"Well the hat did say I'd do well in Slytherin, but I had just been introduced to this awful prat, who happened to be sorted there..." He grinned at the blond, who rolled his eyes.

------

After his conversation with Draco, the Gryffindors found that the started having fewer problems with Ron and Hermione. It may have been due to the fact that they could barely leave the common room without being locked into a closet. When asked, Draco told him that it was suggested by a Ravenclaw, who thought that it would be poetic justice, or something like that. Harry just thought that it was a good way to shut them up.

The group in the library soon expanded to include Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, and Blaise Zabini- after they had promised that they had "no more involvement with the Dark Lord than Potter here" No one else understood why Ginny and Neville found this so funny. Blaise spent most of his time chatting with Ginny, who in turn blushed any time his name came up. Neville finally asked Luna out after Harry took his _mimbus mimbletonia _hostage, only returning it when Luna confirmed that he had asked her out. Draco was still trying to convince Pansy that they weren't meant to be; she was currently musing about a wedding in Venice. Neville was no longer so afraid of Draco, but he still squeaked whenever the blond boy glared. Ginny would often punch both boys after one of these incidents, Draco, because he was a git, and Neville, because he needed to toughen up.

Harry, for his part, was sneaking off to see Tom at least once a week, snogging in the cellar of Honeydukes, and talking about life, the universe, and everything. When Harry had shown him the first book he had found mentioning the multiple personality study, Tom had nearly had a fit. Westhover and Zephyrwilde had spent many weeks explaining to Tom the key tenets of pureblood supremacy. To find out that Dumbledore had actively facilitated their actions...

Tom had been keeping most of his Death Eaters busy with minor duties, meant to cause fear without leading to any major injuries. A select few were sent to gather as much information as possible on the Multiple Personality Experiments- for all anyone knew, there could be dozens of others who had been living with an artificial personality, both from the experiments themselves, and from those who had used the information gleaned. So far, they had uncovered the name of two other subjects in the experiment, both deceased.

Snape was still as snarky as ever, glaring at Harry at every opportunity, although for some reason he was reluctant to take points from the boy. It may have had something to do with the Dark Lord's affection for the Gryffindor. Dumbledore was still nowhere to be found, although Fawkes was constantly traveling back and forth, carrying messages.

And thus, the scene was set for Halloween.

------

Tom had decided that there needed to be an incident on Halloween, to keep everyone on their toes, and to keep anyone from getting suspicious. Besides, it was almost a tradition, after all.

Harry was the one with the bright idea, though. There was a match-Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw- on the Saturday before Halloween, creating the perfect opportunity for Harry to sneak Ginny, Draco, and Neville through the secret passage into the cellar of Honeydukes. There, the five of them managed to plan out the Halloween incident. Assured that everyone knew their parts, he sent the other three students back up to the school, sending the map (and instructions for her to redirect anyone who should come to close to the statue) with Ginny and keeping his cloak for himself. Ginny and Neville snickered, confusing Draco, who knew nothing other than that, according to his conversation with Harry on the pitch, Harry and Tom weren't shagging. He finally let the two Gryffindors drag him away when they promised to explain it all to him on the way back.

"Tom," Harry looked up into the eyes of his boyfriend, "have I told you how great you are?"

"Well, not in the last twenty minutes, anyways. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thought you should know." Harry smiled at the older man's confused look before drawing him into another kiss.

------

At last, it was Halloween. The group thought that it would be easiest to pull off during the feast.

About fifteen minutes after the feast had begun, Draco and Blaise (who wasn't sure what exactly was going on, other than a large scale prank) ran into the great hall, calling for Madam Pomphrey. Getting her attention, they lead her to a stupefied Ginny, lying in a hallway chosen at random. Once she was enneverated, and shown to be alright, they asked her what happened. Like the wonderful actress she was (all those years of living with Fred and George had taught her something, after all), she told a simple story- "We were walking to the great hall, and I thought I saw something, so I stopped, and then I heard a mumble, and Neville fell down, and then Harry fell down, and I went to run, but something hit me, and is Harry ok? What about Neville? Where are they?" The subsequent panic assured that no one would question any holes in her story- Harry and Neville were missing! Obviously kidnapped! Of course, no one but Draco and Ginny knew that they were currently sitting in the cellar of Honeydukes, eating chocolate frogs. In a few hours, they would head outside (under the invisibility cloak, of course), and Tom would stun them and pin a note to Harry's robe referring to the dreadful security of the school.

While the rest of the teachers searched the grounds, and Madam Pomphrey got the infirmary ready- after all, it wasn't a real adventure if Harry didn't end up in the infirmary afterwards- Severus agreed to question the students involved to see if they had any other information to give.

Leading the three students into a room, which he quickly locked and warded, Severus paced to the center. Draco and Ginny, who had been doing their best not to laugh while they were surrounded by teachers and other students, broke out in laughter. Blaise, who was completely in the dark, didn't see what was so funny.

After giving them a moment to calm down, Severus asked in a careful, flat tone, "Alright, Mister Malfoy, who's idea was this?"

Draco smirked. "It was Harry's idea. He wanted an excuse to sneak out and visit a friend tonight. Neville agreed, and they enlisted us. Blaise was only involved because of Ginny, and he didn't know anything other than the fact that we were planning a prank."

The Potions Master looked over at the black boy. "It this true, Mister Zabini?" Blaise gulped.

"Yes, sir. "

"Alright, then, you may go, Mister Zabini."

Blaise shot to his feet and ran to the door.

Once the boy was out of the room, Severus took a deep breath. This was not going to be a fun night.

"Alright. What exactly do each of you know about Mister Potter's current circumstances?"

It was Ginny who spoke up first. "Do you mean, current as of this night, or current as of the time he started writing letters?"

"Current as of this summer."

"Oh, in that case, Harry wrote a letter to the dark lord after he had a rather disturbing vision-" At this Severus started to go pink. "-And they kept writing on a daily basis until Harry was moved to the headquarters. I found out while we were in Diagon Alley, when I followed Harry to the Leaky Cauldron and recognized Tom from second year. Then they didn't talk until we got back here, and then they started writing, and Harry found a way to sneak out to see him- which he hasn't shown me, so I can't tell you, sorry- and they are quite possibly snogging right now." Snape blanched, he really hadn't wanted to know that, although it explained a lot. The young girl continued. "Neville overheard us a few weeks ago, we didn't realize that he was in the room, he was sick and had spent the day in his bed with the curtains closed- at the time, he said he couldn't be arsed to care with so much medicine in his system, and by the time he was better, he'd thought it over and figured that Harry knew what he was doing. You already know how Draco found out- he told me already."

Severus was shocked. He didn't expect the girl to be so... forthcoming. Nor did he expect her- or Longbottom for that matter- to take it so calmly. "And as for this... prank of yours?"

Draco answered this time. "Oh, Potter and Longbottom are going to sit around and eat junk food until midnight. Then they're going to head out into the middle of Hogsmeade, Tom's going to stupefy them, and pin a note to Longbottom's robes talking about the "lax security" we have. You may want to find a way to keep anyone from searching Hogsmeade until after midnight."

Severus sighed. Was it him, or were his students getting more idiotic as the years went on? He was surprised to hear that the bloody werewolf hadn't had a paw in this.

"Alright. Get out of here. I'm sure you'll both be informed when Potter and Longbottom show up. " The Potions Master sneered at his students, who just smiled at him. Bloody Gryffindors, corrupting his Slytherins!

------

Of course, the reappearance of Harry and Neville only brought about another slew of rumors, as did the announcement of new security measures- which, as far as anyone could tell, had no effect on the existing passageways. Dumbledore was still nowhere to be found, and speculation abounded, from the tale that Voldemort had captured him and was keeping him locked up in a dungeon somewhere (Harry just about choked on his cereal when Ginny passed that gem to him at breakfast one morning), to the woeful story told by the Hufflepuffs, who claimed that he had choked to death on a lemon drop.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was still just as engaging as it had been in third year. There had been a rough patch with Ron and Hermione there for a while, but that problem was solved as soon as Professor Lupin learned not to place either of them with any of the other students, lest someone end up in the infirmary.

Currently, they were discussing the boundary between dark spells and light spells, and Lupin was explaining the role of intent in casting any curse, hex, or jinx. Harry found these lessons enlightening, as they examined the reason for the ministry's seemingly arbitrary classification of spells as dark.

One day, not long after Halloween, Remus asked Harry and Neville to stay after class. After the room emptied, the DADA Professor tossed up a few simple but sturdy wards.

"Alright then, we need to talk about what happened on Halloween. I know it didn't happen like Miss Weasley said-" he raised his hand as Harry and Neville both started to deny it, "- and I know that you were not in Death Eater custody. If you were, we would have likely received you back in pieces. Now, remembering that I enjoy a good prank as much as the next person, what happened?"

Harry started to blush and mumble an excuse, when Neville blurted out, "We needed something to do and Harry wanted to see his boyfriend-" Lupin looked at Harry, who was bright red and wishing he could become invisible, "-and Ginny and Draco thought it sounded like fun, so we set it up." Neville fell silent, looking at Harry apologetically.

"And would this boyfriend happen to be the new clerk at Honeydukes, by any chance?" Harry nodded, swallowing thickly. "I thought so. Neville still had a chocolate frog in his pocket when we found you two." Harry glared at the other boy, who was turning a fair shade of red himself.

Suddenly, Lupin started laughing. "Ok, Harry. Officially, as a teacher, I'm supposed to tell you not to do anything like that again. However, unofficially? Next time, let me know first, so I don't spend the night worrying about you, OK?"

Harry let out a sigh. It looked like he was off the hook.

"I also have one more thing to ask. What is happening with Ron and Hermione? I've heard the rumors, of course, but there are always rumors in this place."

"Well, in this case the rumors are true. They attacked Seamus and Dean and anyone who stood up for them, so we started avoiding them. Then, the news spread to the other houses, and some people started to get offended by their behaviour, and started retaliating."

"And that's why I had to pull them out of another closet this morning?" Lupin asked, amused.

"Some of the Ravenclaws thought it would be poetic justice. All I know is it shuts them up for a few hours." Harry smiled softly.

"I see. Well, Harry, we really need to talk more often, but I'm sure you want to get to lunch." The werewolf smiled at his students as they ran off. He got up, put on his cloak, and left the classroom. Lunch could wait, right now, he had a shop clerk to question.


	6. 06: Theories

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

Whoo! Citrus! With Dominant!Harry!

Have I ever mentioned that I suck at writing sex scenes? My brain just has a habit of shutting down whenever I mention anything below the belt. It's kind of sad, really.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

:Parseltongue:

Important note! I have a poll up in my livejournal about the ending- go vote!

------

Tom looked up at the man who entered the shop and froze. Remus Lupin, the surrogate godfather of Harry Potter, was standing not five feet away from him. Taking a deep breath, Tom managed a smile.

"Hi, there, is there anything I can help you with?"

The werewolf looked at the man standing in front of him. He looked perhaps two years older than Harry, and despite his smile, he looked incredibly nervous.

"Actually, yes there is. I'm Remus Lupin, and you are..?" The werewolf extended his hand.

"Tom." The one-time Dark Lord took the Defense Professor's hand, giving it a firm, professional shake. The werewolf looked impressed.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Lupin?"

"Oh, Remus is fine. And I've come to talk to you about a student. I heard a rumor earlier that one of my students was dating the new clerk at Honeydukes." Tom swallowed. This couldn't be good.

"Harry."

"Indeed. I was friends with his parents, and now I feel somewhat responsible for him." The werewolf's tone was rather neutral, but there was a decidedly feral glint in his eye.

"Yes, sir. Harry's told me about you. He also told me about what happened last June."

"I see. Harry's been hurt far too often already. I hope you remember that before you do anything that might hurt him again." At that, the man offered a smile, which Tom returned weakly.

"Yes, sir." Tom choked out. Remus nodded at him, and left the shop.

------

Tom watched the man leave the shop, feeling his heart race. _If that's what I have to deal with now, what's going to happen when he finds out who I really am?_

------

Harry had finally read through the last of the information on the Multiple Personality Experiments, and he was almost certain that his interpretation of the prophecy was correct. Before he told Tom, though, he wanted to get another perspective. Sighing, he packed up the file he had put together detailing the experiment and its results, as well as Tom's descriptions of the disintegration of the "Voldemort" persona, and his statements about what Westhover and Zephyrwilde had "taught" him. It was time to talk to Snape.

------

Harry knocked on the door of Snape's office. Opening the door, the Potions Master immediately frowned. What in the world could the Gryffindor want now?

"Sir, I need to talk to you."

"Obviously, Mister Potter. Come in." Severus stepped out of the way, allowing the boy to enter his office.

"Well, what is it?" the older man snapped.

"It's complicated, sir. It has to do with the prophecy, and with Tom's sudden personality change." He pulled the file out of his bag. "I think you should read this first, before I explain the rest."

"Alright, Potter. Go, sit down, and I'll deal with you when I'm done." Harry obliged, sitting down and pulling out a textbook to read.

Severus opened the folder and started reading. _At least it looks more interesting than the 3rd year Hufflepuffs' essays._

------

Half an hour later, the man sat back, shocked. The implications of this... and Dumbledore helped them? Why would he do something like that?

Sighing, he turned to the boy.

"Alright, Potter, now how does the prophecy fit in here?"

Harry explained it to the Potions Master, watching as his frown gradually deepened.

"Mister Potter, I think you may just have a valid theory here. Have you shared it with anyone else?"

"Well, I told the basics to Gin a while back, while I was just working it out- that was the conversation that Nev overheard. But I didn't have this much information before, so I couldn't be sure. I thought that, now that I had it all worked out, you'd be the best person to talk to about this."

"Indeed. Potter- Harry, I think I may need to show this to someone. Do you mind if I take this file?"

"As long as it's not Dumbledore, it's fine. I have another copy of everything in my trunk- I thought you might want a copy, so I put that together for you."

Severus was struck at the thoughtfulness of that act, and the trust that in implied.

"Well, thank you then. Now, get out of my office." The kindness in his tone belied the harshness of the words. Harry smiled at the man, put his book back into his bag, and headed up to the tower.

------

The werewolf frowned as he sat at his desk. He knew that man's scent, but from where? And what did he want with Harry?

He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock at the door. "It's open!" he called.

Severus Snape opened the door and walked in briskly.

"Good afternoon, Severus. What can I do for you?"

"A student just passed along some information to me. I thought you might find it interesting."

Severus handed over the file to Lupin, who cocked one eyebrow. "Harry?"

Severus smirked. "Yes. The boy is nothing if not tenacious. Now, I don't know if Dumbledore ever informed you of the background of Voldemort...?"

"Yes, he mentioned it. Tom Marvolo Riddle? Student from the 1940's?"

Severus nodded, and Remus sighed opening the file. Starting with the first document, which explained the nature of the experiments. Remus kept reading, a look of disbelief forming on his face. He was ready to strangle Dumbledore by the time he was halfway through. Finally, he reached the last page, and froze. On it was a picture of four wizards. One of them was Dumbledore. Two of them were named as Westhover and Zephyrwilde. The final face, that of the "unnamed test subject" was what shook him. Remus stared down at the picture of Tom Riddle.

------

Upon returning to his dorm, Harry had cast a quick _tempus_, and, seeing that it was only quarter to four, grabbed a piece of parchment out of his bag and penned a note to Tom, asking him to meet him in the usual spot as soon as possible.

Grabbing his cloak and map, Harry made his way to the passage to Honeydukes. He practically ran down the passage, and by the time he reached the cellar, he was out of breath. Climbing up into the dark room, he made his way over to the crates. Quickly transfiguring the lids of the crates into something with a bit of a cushion (a trick Tom had suggested after the fourth time they had come to the cellar to cuddle and snog), he hopped up and waited. About five minutes later, Tom climbed down, wand lit in front of him.

"Hey there. Took you long enough." Harry grinned at the older man. Tom rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, there was a witch up there who wanted thirty of everything. Counted out individually, of course, so she could see them. It's days like this when I miss having the freedom to _crucio_ people."

Harry snickered as Tom sat down beside him. "I'm sure it's tough, having to just deal with problems like the rest of us."

Tom ignored the comment and continued. "And a certain Remus Lupin showed up today, and gave me a talking to." Harry squeaked. "It was quite impressive. He really cares about you, you know."

"Yeah, I know. He figured out that there was something off about Halloween, and kept me and Neville after class. We managed to convince him that it was just a bit of a prank, and that we were playing on past events for a bit of a laugh. I'm sorry he came and threatened you."

"Oh, you better be. I'm supposed to be a bloody dark lord, and he nearly made me wet myself!" Harry giggled, leaning against his boyfriend. Tilting his head, he captured the other man's lips in a kiss that was almost chaste. Shifting, he moved back in, pressing his lips more firmly against Tom's, mouth open lightly. He slowly drew his tongue across his boyfriend's lips, causing the older man to open his mouth obediently. Throwing one arm around Tom's shoulder for leverage, he reached with his other hand for the top-most button of Tom's robes. Slowly, he worked his way down Tom's front, undoing buttons as he went. As he undid the last button, he started to move his mouth, trailing kisses down Tom's jaw and across his neck, pausing to suckle just below Tom's adam's apple, which elicited a moan from the older man. The sound went straight to Harry's cock, which was already rock hard. From the size of the lump in Tom's boxers, the older man wasn't doing any better. Harry continued his ministrations, moving down to nip at Tom's collarbone, and then down to lave at his nipples. He nipped and sucked at Tom's nipples, entranced by the sounds the man was making. Kissing his way across Tom's chest, Harry gave the same treatment to the other nipple, teasing more wonderful sounds from the older man. Finishing there, he slowly kissed is way down Tom's stomach, pausing to dip his tongue into the man's navel. Finally, reaching the topmost edge of Tom's boxers, he hitched his fingers around the waistband, exposing the older man's length to the cold air of the cellar. Tom hissed as the fabric caught on his sensitive flesh. Harry grinned, and blew gently on the exposed member before him, causing Tom to moan and curse in a mixture of English and parseltongue.

"Please," :Harry,: "more!"

Harry looked up at the other man. "Tell me what you want me to do. I want to hear you say it."

:Oh, god, Harry, I want you to suck me:

Shivering, Harry did just that.

------

Remus was pacing his office. Harry was dating Tom Fucking Riddle? That nervous young man who had shaken his hand and assured him that he wasn't going to hurt Harry was the same man that had murdered Merlin only knows how many people? And Harry _knew_ this? It was too much to take. He needed to talk to Harry. _Now_. He paused for a minute, trying to figure out the fastest way to find him. _House elves, that's it. What was the name of that one that liked Harry so much? He'd know where to look. Dobby, wasn't it? Yeah, that sounds right_.

"Dobby!" called the werewolf. The house elf popped up beside him, looking up with his big round eyes. "Can you find Harry and tell him I need to talk to him in my office immediately?"

"Harry Potter, sir? Yes sir, Dobby will be finding him!" Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Lupin sat back in his chair. There wasn't anything to do now but wait.

------

Half an hour later, and there was still no sign of Harry. Remus was about to go out and look for him himself when Dobby popped back into his office.

"Dobby is sorry, sir, but Harry Potter is not being in the castle, so Dobby is asking Miz Ginny Wheezy if she knows where Harry Potter is being. Miz Ginny Wheezy says that Harry Potter is likely being with his boyfriend, but Miz Ginny Wheezy was not telling Dobby where."

"It's alright, Dobby. I think I can find him. Thank you." Dobby bowed, and popped away.

Remus sighed and cast a quick _tempus_. 5:30- he should be able to get to Honeydukes before it closed. putting on his cloak, the man started out towards the sweet shop for the second time that day.

------

Harry was curled up in Tom's arms, dozing comfortably. It had been an amazing afternoon- after he had gotten Tom off, the older man had of course wanted to return the favor, an experience which left Harry euphoric. Add to that the fact that he no longer had that prophecy hanging over his head, and he was in heaven. He yawned, and snuggled in tighter to Tom. Tom- wonderful Tom. The older man, wary of Harry's past, had had no qualms about giving up control to the young Gryffindor, who, though eager, was still nervous. There was just one thing bugging him. Not wanting to move, Harry nudged Tom.

"What time is it?" Tom blinked, grabbed his wand, and cast a silent _tempus_.

"It's almost 6. You should probably head back soon if you want dinner." Harry sat up, grumbling softly, and reaching for his robes. He was almost done buttoning them up when the door to the cellar opened up.

"Hey, Tom, are you down there? There's a man here, says he needs to see you. He says bring up your friend, too."

Tom and Harry glanced at each other. Who could it be? Harry figured it out first.

"Remus." Tom shrugged on his robes, and quickly buttoned them up.

"Oh. Alright then. Since he's probably going to kill me, it was nice knowing you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Quit being melodramatic. The worse he'd do is maim you."

Tom snorted at his boyfriend's terrible joke. "I wish I had your confidence, love." He took a deep breath, and started up the stairs, with Harry on his heels.

Emerging into the shop, Tom kept his eyes carefully on his shoes. Harry managed to look up at his surrogate godfather, but his face was bright crimson. Remus took a look at their tousled hair, and caught a whiff of the scent clinging to them, and shook his head. Turning to the proprietor, he rolled his eyes.

"Do you have a private room I could borrow? I need to have a talk with these two." The man nodded, and gestured to Tom, who sighed and started walking.

"There's an office back here." He opened the door, holding it for Harry and Lupin. Stepping in, he shut the door firmly. "There's privacy wards already set up." Still not looking up, he shuffled over to Harry's side.

"So, Harry, I had an interesting visit from Snape not too long ago." Harry's eyes widened.

"So you're the person he wanted to talk to..." He trailed off, thinking about what exactly was in the file. Then he remembered the picture. "Oh, shit."

"Oh shit indeed. I just about had a heart attack when I saw that picture! And the, when I couldn't find you afterwards..." Remus was pacing now, running his hand through his hair. "What exactly is going on, Harry? What was all that stuff?"

Harry looked over to the desk, saw a chair in front of it, and sat down. "Alright. Professor, did you actually read the file?" Remus nodded. "Ok, this will make it easier. Tom, remember when I said I had a theory about the experiment? Well, it's about the prophecy. You see..."

Harry explained his theory, telling the other two men that, from what he could tell, it was already fulfilled. Tom's eyes went wide when he heard the full prophecy for the first time, and Harry, seeing his discomfort, reached over to take the older man's hand and give it a gentle squeeze, which was promptly returned. Even entranced in Harry's theory, Remus noticed this little sign of affection, filing it away for future reference. Harry explained the link to Remus, pointing out that he could tell whether or not Tom was telling the truth. "And I went to Snape with it because I needed someone with a different point of view, and if I had made a mistake, he would have found it right away- he's good at that, you know." He took a deep breath. "And I'm sorry I scared you, Remus, I was just so happy that I had figured it out, and I wanted to spend time with Tom. I always screw things up like that."

"Harry, you didn't screw anything up. I was just scared. You're family, cub, and the only family I have left. If something happened to you... I'd never forgive myself. And it is a little hard to get my head around, even after seeing all the research." He snorted. "So, who else knows about this?"

Harry ran down the list for him.

"I see. And Draco and Neville are actually getting along now?"

"Scarily, yes. Of course, Draco's still afraid of me, so that helps, but..."

------

"So, what are we going to do about Dumbledore?" Harry looked up at the werewolf, who was leafing through the file, yet again. A week had passed since Remus Lupin had learned about Tom, and he, Harry and Ginny were sitting in Lupin's office, drinking butterbeer. Snape was also present, but he'd declined the offered butterbeer with a glare.

"I'm not sure yet. He's got a lot to answer for, that's for sure. Does anyone even know where he is?"

"No, he hasn't said. He did send a note saying that he'd be back after Christmas, though, and telling us not to worry. You know, it's a good thing that you've got Tom wrapped around your little finger, Harry, I'd hate to have to deal with Voldemort at a time like this." Harry snorted.

"Why not? The only time he's ever stepped in to help me was at the Ministry. Other than that, he's just let me deal with the big, bad Dark Lord. That's another thing he has to answer for."

Ginny cut in. "Don't forget the fact that he was apparently watching you while you were at the Dursleys."

"Wait, what's this about the Dursleys?" Harry scowled, but Ginny answered.

"Well, when Harry got to Grimmauld Place, I accidentally walked in on him changing, and his back was covered in bruises-"

"It was fine, Ginny. And, it's still none of your business."

"Bullshit, your back looked like a bloody sunset, Harry. So, anyways, I wrote a letter to Dumbledore telling him I was worried about Harry's safety, and he sent a reply saying that Harry was perfectly safe there, that Dumbledore had been keeping a close watch on Harry, and that I should mind my own business. I wonder if that's the same close watch he kept on you during second year, when you were locked in your room with bars on your window and a cat door for them to slide food through? Or before you got your letter and the muggles were so kind as to give you the cupboard under the stairs as a room of your own, or treated like a bloody house elf-" Both professor's eyes widened at this. Severus looked down, thinking. I_ knew it wasn't the most pleasant house- I saw that when I fetched the boy. But to be _that_ bad... What the hell was Dumbledore thinking?_

Lupin practically exploded. "Wait, what? Why didn't anyone tell me about this? Dumbledore," the werewolf spat the name, "told me that you were fine and happy, and that he was just concerned about giving you a normal childhood. I'm going to wring that man's neck!"

Harry looked at his surrogate godfather. "You'll have to get in line, sir. I think Tom claimed that privilege around the time Dumbles advocated turning him into an experiment. Anyways, there's still more. Did you know that Sirius made me his heir? Dumbles dearest didn't bother telling me. One of the goblins told me when I was at Gringotts, they'd been trying to reach me for months- although I think that particular goblin was just excitable. maybe he's related to Flitwick somewhere along the line? Anyways, the point is, I own Grimmauld Place, among other things, and the old coot wasn't planning on telling me. Who knows, maybe he was afraid I'd kick the Order out or something. Plus, there was the whole thing with the prophecy- he knew it, and apparently he'd been taunting Tom with it, through Snape here." He nodded towards the Potions Master. "Of course, he made sure to plant the idea of luring me to the Ministry in his head. And I'm sure there's plenty more out there. I mean, the man's been oblivious to most of the goings-on in this school for as long as I've been here! How exactly did Quirrel get the job, anyways? He had Voldemort sicking out the back of his head, for Merlin's sake! And Lockhart!" Severus snorted at the name. Harry nodded at the man. "Exactly! The man was as useless as tits on a boar!" Ginny started laughing at the image that evoked. Remus, who only knew the man by reputation, chuckled, and wondered where little Harry had learned such colourful phrases. Even Severus smiled at that.

"Yes, Mister Potter, we understand. Dumbledore is a menace. Now, what are we going to do about him?" Harry leaned back in his chair.

"I think I might have an idea." Everyone looked over at the girl, expectantly. "We all know that the biggest thing he has going for him is his reputation, right? A little odd and eccentric, maybe, but also undoubtedly good and completely light- otherwise he wouldn't be so indispensable. So, why don't we cast a shadow on that reputation?" The others grinned. Oh, yes, Dumbledore was going to pay.

------


	7. 07: Christmas

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

Full moon information from http://fermi. up a lung: This cold is a bitch, and it's ruining my ability to concentrate. Thus, my half-assed attempt at writing a french accent. Bleh. Here you go. I'll get started on the next chapter in the morning. Well, later in the morning, it's quarter to four right now. You know, I'd probably get better faster if I got some sleep, but where's the fun in that?

The coffee description came from a conversation I had with my mom about one of the three or four coffee shops in my school. I'm sad to say that I'll hand over two bucks for a coffee that needs 9 sugars (give or take) to be bearable. Caffeine addiction is a terrible thing.

------

The rest of November passed without incident. The group (which had extended to include Neville and Draco, and, when they could sneak him in, Tom) would meet every few days in Lupin's office and plan their attack on Dumbledore. They had decided to leave off until the new year, when Rita Skeeter would "accidentally" come across a file detailing Dumbledore's involvement in the Multiple Personality Experiment. The also discussed how to get rid of "Voldemort"- everyone agreed there needed to be a final battle, or else there'd be too many rumors- and what was going to happen afterwards.

Tom had found another test subject- a lonely old witch who lived in Wiltshire. Fortunately, the procedure had never been that effective on her, and the only difference between her real personality and the artificial one was how she took her tea. After visiting her under the pretense of being a traveling broomstick salesman, Tom obliviated her, leaving her with memories of spending a lovely afternoon drinking tea while that nice young man expounded on the benefits of a new broomstick.

A week into November, Ginny got a letter from her mother, who was already getting ready for Christmas.

"Hey, Harry. Mum was thinking of setting up at Grimmauld place this year for Christmas, and maybe spending a week there. You know, because it has more bedrooms and all. She wants to know what you and Remus think, seeing as you two have the biggest claim on it and all. She also wants me to make sure that you're coming for the break."

Harry smiled at the red-head. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I'll ask Remus after Defense today, but I don't think he'll have a problem. And of course I'm coming, why wouldn't I?"

Ginny inclined his head over at Ron and Hermione, who were sitting with a group of first-years- the only people who would be around them. "Those two are going to be there, you know..."

Harry snorted. "I'm not going to let a couple of gits keep me away from _my_ house. C'mon, we'll head up and ask Remus now, and you can send a note off to your mum before class." The two got up and walked up to where the werewolf was sitting at the head table. "Professor Lupin, sir, Mrs. Weasley just wrote. She wants to know if either of us minded if she held Christmas dinner at Grimmauld Place."

Remus had no objections, so Ginny ran back to the table, wrote a quick response, and headed up to the owlry to borrow Hedwig.

------

Molly was just picking out the wool for Fred's sweater when Hedwig arrived at the Burrow. Smiling, she unwrapped the parchment and read it. Setting the scrap down, she made her way into the kitchen, humming. There was a while there when she was really worried about Harry, especially when Ron stopped mentioning him in his letters home. _Really, it seems that the only person he ever talks about lately is Hermione! Maybe it's time to have Arthur give him a bit of a talk on "precautions"_. Ginny, though, had started talking about Harry more and more as the weeks went on. Every letter contained the phrase "me and Harry" at least once, and usually several times. She idly wondered if the two were going out, although most of it seemed platonic, and involved what was only referred to as "the group", which, from what Molly could tell, was a study group that met in the library sometimes, and didn't include Ron or Hermione. Still, she supposed that she should get Arthur to include Harry in that little talk.

That all settled, Molly rolled up her sleeves and started scrubbing the breakfast dishes. _When Arthur gets home, I'll get him to get out the decorations and send them over, and then I'll have to get started on invitations, and I'll need to pick up more maroon wool..._

Molly smiled. It looked like she had a lot to do this year.

------

Harry woke up early on the day that they were to depart for the Christmas break. Practically bouncing, Harry packed up his trunk. Despite being forced to stay in close quarters with "the happy couple", as most students had taken to calling Ron and Hermione, Harry was excited. Tom had commandeered a house near King's Cross Station from one of his Death Eaters, and Harry was planning on sneaking out of Grimmauld Place as often as possible to visit his boyfriend. With the help of Ginny, Severus, and Remus, of course. The four of them had even decided (despite Severus' grumbling) to spend the 26th with Tom for a belated gift exchange and Christmas luncheon, under the guise of going into muggle London to take advantage of the after-Christmas sales. All in all, it looked to be a good vacation.

The trip passed by quickly, with Harry and Ginny spending most of the time playing Exploding Snap with Draco and Neville, who had somehow managed to become good friends over the past few months, especially after a few sessions of drinking butterbeer and gripping about the strangeness of women in general. When they arrived at the station, Draco was sharing his plans to get rid of Pansy once and for all by introducing her to the son of a wealthy businessman from America who had taken to calling on his mother since his father had gone to Azkaban. The boy was rich, good looking, and just as vapid as Pansy, who was now examining pictures of tropical beaches, having decided that a seaside wedding would be incredibly romantic. Draco chose not to reflect on why the businessman had started calling on his mother so often, choosing to believe that they were just good friends.

------

Arriving at Grimmauld Place, Harry raced to unpack. He was sharing a room with Ron again, as the rest of the rooms were going to be occupied. Both Bill and Charlie had told their mother that they were bringing friends, Molly told them, her eyes gleaming at the thought of weddings and little red-headed grandchildren running around the burrow. Molly soon put the four of them to work decorating the house. She had spent the last week cleaning, and the house practically gleamed from the effort, but it was still rather bare. Arthur, Remus, and Tonks had headed out to find a Christmas tree earlier, and it was now standing proudly in the drawing room, ready to be trimmed and decorated. The twins came by after closing up shop, and were soon put to work decorating the entrance hall with preapproved decorations. The twins groaned in unison as their mother listed exactly what could be placed up. Seeing the tension mounting between Hermione and Ron and Harry and Ginny, Molly had sent Ron and Hermione to work in the kitchen, leaving the other boys and Ginny to work in the rest of the house. After Molly left the room, Fred and George turned to Harry.

"So, mate..."

"You'd better be treating our sister right, right?"

"Buy her flowers..."

"Take her dancing..."

"All that rot." The boys finished in unison. Harry and Ginny both started snickering.

"What's so funny?" asked George.

"You really think... Me and Harry?" Ginny burst out laughing.

"So you're not..."

"Going out with the brat?" Ginny swiped at Fred, still laughing.

"Who, me? Nah, that's just a little too weird- we know each other too well. Besides, she's seeing someone else." Harry turned, reaching into the box of decorations.

Ginny cut in. "Besides, Harry's gay." Harry turned to the youngest Weasley.

"Ginny, how many times do I have to tell you I'm not gay?" He turned to the twins. "I'm not gay- despite what your sister likes to tell people." Turning back "Why do you keep telling people I'm gay?"

"Harry, I've seen your porn collection."

"No, you saw a small part of my porn collection. I keep the rest of it in my trunk." Ginny blushed despite herself. "And I didn't even buy that. It was a birthday present- _someone_ decided I needed to "broaden my horizons" or whatever."

"Harry, for a bloke who's not gay, you sure spend a lot of time snogging another bloke." Ginny pointed out.

"Didn't we already have this discussion? You know, the one where I explained everything? Seriously, next time you call me "gay", I'm going to hit you over the head with a bloody dictionary."

The twins watched, amused. Finally, they cut in.

"Harry, Harry, Harry..."

"It's not like we care..."

"Hell, as long as everything's consensual,"

"It's none of our business. Right Fred?"

"Right, George." The pair turned to grin at the brunet, who by now was starting to turn pink.

"But just out of curiosity, Harry..."

"What exactly did you explain to our sister dearest?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I explained to Gin here, quite a while ago, that a person's sex just doesn't matter to me. Just call me equal opportunity, or whatever."

Fred turned to George. "Well, it looks like you owe me a Galleon."

"Bloody hell, not you too?"

Fred and George grinned.

"Harry, who do you think _started_ the betting pool?"

Harry threw a holly branch at them.

------

Bill and Charlie arrived on Christmas Eve. Remus had kept to his room all day, as it was the full moon, and the rest of the house's occupants were busy putting the finishing touches on the decorations. Bill arrived around 8 in the morning, with none other than Fleur Delacour on his arm.

Bill reached out and gave his mother a bear hug, lifting her off the ground.

"Fleur, This is my mum, Molly Weasley. Mum, this is Fleur Delacour. I'm sure you recognize her from the tournament, right?"

""Ello, Mrs. Weasley. It is nice to finally meet you. Bill 'as been talking nonstop about seeing you again!"

"It's nice to meet you too, dear. Hermione, would you show Fleur to her room? It's the one across from yours. Harry, take her bags? Ginny, Ron, I need you two in the kitchen. Bill, dear, your room is beside Ron and Harry, I'm sure Harry can point it out to you." Having finished handing out tasks, the Weasley matron started toward the kitchen, he two youngest children behind her.

Charlie arrived a few hours later, accompanied by a tall wizard with shoulder-length blond hair and clear blue eyes. The inhabitants of the house (except Arthur, who was at work until noon) were just putting the finishing touches on the room when they arrived.

Blushing slightly, he turned to his mother. "Mom, this is Miro Prohaska. Miro, this is my mum." Molly looked at the blond wizard, then back at her son. Charlie's blush deepened as his mum raised a questioning eyebrow. "Er, yeah. I've been meaning to tell you, mum. I'm kinda, erm, gay."

It was Ron who broke the silence.

"What the hell! You're a bloody ponce?" the boy spat. "Bloody perverts, the both of you."

Molly turned to her youngest son.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! I thought we had raised you better than this. Go to your room, your father will be speaking with you later. Miro, I'm sorry about this- it's nice to meet you, really. Er... oh, dear. I think I have to change the sleeping arrangements, then."

------

Half an hour later, the guests were settled. Molly had finally admitted that her two oldest sons, being adults, were mature enough to sleep in the same room as their significant others, and had sent Hermione to help Fleur move her things to Bill's room. Charlie and Miro were placed in the room across from Ginny and Hermione. Ron was still in his room, and Molly kept shooting apologetic glances at her son and his boyfriend. Much to Molly's chagrin, Hermione refused to address either of the two men, choosing to ignore them instead. When the girl left the room on an errand for the older woman, Molly turned to her son. "I'm sorry, I really don't know why they're acting that way."

Ginny walked over and snorted. "Hermione's been acting like that all year- they both have. Ron tried to get Dean and Seamus kicked out of the dorm when he found out that they were dating. Then Hermione started giving lectures to people on how it was "immoral" and "perverted" or some garbage. I think the both of them got hit in the head during the summer, they're both acting like idiots."

She turned to Harry, who had been set to peel carrots. "What was it Hermione tried to tell you? That we all had to "stick together" and stand up to the evil homosexuals?" Harry started chuckling.

"Yeah, only she just referred to them as _them_. It took all my willpower not to tell her to go fuck herself- sorry, Mrs. Weasley."

"Harry, it's Molly. Mrs. Weasley is my mother-in-law. Besides, you're family. Speaking of which, how long have you been dating Ginny?"

Harry froze as Ginny burst out laughing. "Me, and Gin? What? No! That'd just be- weird. And you-" he said, looking at the giggling girl, "-I swear, if you say it, I will go to the library and find a dictionary to beat you with!" That was just too much for the girl, who collapsed to the floor, howling with laughter.

"Say what, Gin?" asked Charlie, a glint in his eye.

Calming down, Ginny got to her feet, still giggling slightly. "No, Harry, I wasn't going to say that. Although, I'm sure your boyfriend would kill me if there was anything going on between us." Harry went red.

"Well, well, Harry, who's the lucky guy?" Ginny snorted, earning an elbow to the ribs from Harry, who wished he could become invisible.

"Oh, Harry's snogging the new clerk at Honeydukes. They're really cute together." Ginny answered for Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know, I've only actually told two people that I like blokes, and yet, half of the people I know have been told. I wonder why that is, Ginevra, dear?"

Ginny leaned on her friend. "Oh, come on, Harry. I've only told-"

"-Most of Gryffindor, Luna, and handful of Slytherins, and four family members. Is that everyone?" Harry glared at the girl. "Look, I know you're just trying to be helpful, but it's no one's business unless I decide otherwise." Taking a deep breath, he turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Molly, I'm sorry, I need to get out of here for a few minutes." Harry turned and stalked out of the kitchen.

------

Harry stalked up most of the way to his room before remembering that Ron was in there. Pausing, he decided that while he was up there, he might as well grab his vacation homework and get some of it done. walking into the room, he went to his trunk and dug out his assignments, ignoring Ron's stare. Leaving, he made his way to the library.

He was just starting on his potion's essay (2 feet on poisons that react negatively to bezoars) when someone walked into the library. Harry ignored them, assuming that it was just Ginny coming to track him down to apologize. He was shocked when he heard Snape's voice.

"Mister Potter. I assumed that you would be off with Miss Weasley doing... whatever it is you two do."

Harry snorted. "Well, usually, I probably would, sir. But then again, usually Ginny doesn't out me to half of her family."

Severus smirked. "I should hope not. Would it be too much to hope that you were putting your free time to good use?"

Harry leaned back in his seat. "I was just getting started on that essay you assigned."

Severus nodded at Harry, and walked over to a shelf. Finding the book he was looking for, he walked over to the table, pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, and started copying something down.

"Um, sir?" The Potions Master looked up.

"Yes, Potter?"

"Um, I know it's a little late, but I just realized, I never actually apologized for looking in your pensieve last year. I just wanted to say that I really am sorry. It was none of my business, and I was a complete idiot. So, er, yeah, I'm sorry." Harry stared down at his parchment. After what felt like an eternity, Severus spoke.

"I see. Tell me, does this have something to do with Miss Weasley's latest intrusion into your privacy?"

Harry nodded. "It took me a while to realize how much of an arse I was, sir." Snape snorted.

"Alright, Potter. I accept your apology." He paused. "You know, you really are different than your father. James wouldn't have apologized to me if his life depended on it." With that, he turned back to his book. Harry sat for a minute longer before returning to his essay.

------

Christmas breakfast was subdued, with Ron and Hermione sitting at one end of the table and whispering between themselves, and the rest of the group at the other. Ginny had pestered Harry for hours the night before until he finally gave in and accepted her apology. Now, she was sitting beside him, making off-coloured comments at Ron and Hermione's expense. The twins had charmed mistletoe to float above everyone's heads for the rest of the day, stating that they were testing a new seasonal product. Miro got on well with the rest of the Weasleys, cracking jokes and telling stories about his childhood and life at the dragon reserve, the latter of which usually involving the imbibing of large amounts of firewhiskey.

After breakfast, Molly directed the group to the drawing room, where the tree was set up, and the group fell upon the presents. Harry received his usual sweater from Molly, which he thanked her for profusely before pulling it on. From Ginny, he got a rather shocking book on sexual health for gay men, which he refused to take out of the bag, blushing and refusing to answer anyone's questions about the contents. The twins had given the usual set of pranks, and Remus had given him chocolate. But the best present came from Hagrid- Sirius' flying motorcycle, which had been shrunk down to fit in the box. With it was a note explaining that he had run across it not that long ago and felt that Sirius would have wanted him to have it. Excusing himself, Harry went up to his room and threw himself on the bed, thinking about Christmas last year, and missing his godfather.

------

Harry paced in front of the front door of Grimmauld Place, careful to be quiet so that he didn't wake up Sirius' mum, who had been thankfully silent for the last few days. Casting a quick tempus, he noticed that it was not quite 6:00 am- they were hoping to leave early enough to avoid questions. Luckily, most of the adults had felt the need for an extra dose of Christmas cheer, and weren't likely to get up soon. He heaved a sigh as Remus and Severus finally came down stairs, followed by Ginny, who had gotten sick of waiting for the two men and gone up to fetch them. Apparently, they had gotten into an argument, and were now giving each other the silent treatment. This was fine with Harry, who really didn't want to hear them snipe at each other, anyways.

Harry quickly ran into the kitchen and scrawled out a vague note mentioning sales in muggle stores, and adding that Ginny was with him, as were the two teachers, so there was no cause for concern. Then he ran back to the entrance hall, where Ginny was glaring at the two professors, who were carefully looking anywhere else but each other. Rolling his eyes, Harry stepped out the door and started walking down the streets towards Tom's temporary home.

------

Tom was pouring a cup of coffee when there was a knock on the door. He dashed towards the door, holding his cup carefully so as not to spill it. Opening the door carefully, he was almost bowled over by Harry, who looked like he was dressed for an arctic expedition. He was followed by a short red-headed blur, who muttered something about needing to find the loo, and two Hogwarts professors, who were quite pointedly not talking to each other. Tom sighed. _It was going to be one of those days_.

He took a sip of his coffee, which he had miraculously managed not to spill, and winced, heading back to the kitchen in search of more sugar. He waved the two teachers off towards the den- Ginny had disappeared- and dug out the canister of sugar, adding a few large spoonfuls to his coffee. Once he had added four or so spoonfuls (and the coffee had gained a slight bit of viscosity), he took a sip and leaned back against the counter. Harry watched this with a slight grin on his face.

"Enough sugar, then?"

"Never. There's not enough sugar in the world for this stuff. I swear, this tastes like espresso strained through an old sock. Would it be too much to ask that git Amycus to buy a more enjoyable brand of coffee?"

Harry looked at the coffee pot. It appeared to contain a thick black sludge- Tom's attempt at making coffee. Shuddering, he looked at Tom, eyebrow raised.

"Tea's in that cupboard over there." He gestured to a cupboard on the other side of the room. Harry opened it, and found a pile of various flavored herbal teas- Peppermint, wild berry, chamomile, rose hip and hibiscus... and not one packet of anything caffeinated in sight. Closing the cupboard, he poured himself half a cup of coffee, filling the rest of the cup with milk. Adding sugar, he sipped it, and cringed.

"Tom, how much coffee did you add?"

"Believe it or not, Harry, I can read the instructions. About a tablespoon per cup, and I made 6 cups worth. This coffee is just utter crap." Harry shook his head and smiled.

"So, I walk all this way to see you, at this ungodly hour, the day after Christmas, and I don't even get a kiss?" Harry pouted. Tom rolled his eyes, put down his coffee, and pressed his lips against those of the younger man. Harry immediately deepened the kiss, setting his own mug down and throwing his arms around Tom's shoulders. He was just starting to tangle his hand in the older man's hair when he heard someone clear their throat.

Remus Lupin stood at the doorway, slightly pink.

Harry turned around, looking at his professor. "Oh, shit, sorry sir."

Tom looked at the man sheepishly. "Er, there's coffee if you want it, but I'd advise against it." He nodded to the coffee pot. Looking at the semi-liquid mess in it, Remus wouldn't have been surprised if it had some form of intelligence.

"I think I'll pass. Actually, we were wondering if you were going to come out to open presents any time soon?"

"Oh yeah! I knew there was something I'd forgotten about! C'mon, Tom!" Harry half dragged Tom out of the room.

Opening his bulky jacket, Harry removed several parcels from the inner pockets. The jacket- now much thinner- was slung over the back of the sofa.

"Ginny wanted me to carry hers." He admitted sheepishly.

Tom grinned, and grabbed one of the presents from the pile. "Alright, Harry, this is yours."

Harry looked at it pensively. "It better not be porn again, Tom." He warned.

Remus cocked an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know what this is about?"

Harry shook his head. "Probably not. For my birthday, Tom decided I needed more porn, and apparently, booze, and he took it upon himself to provide. And don't you even start, Sirius told me about how you spent the summer before sixth year." Remus blushed. From what he remembered of that summer- which wasn't a lot- he really didn't have anything to say to Harry.

Harry went back to opening his present, which turned out to be a copy of that morning's Daily Prophet.

"What's this about?"

"Just read it, Harry."

Harry unfolded the paper, and came face-to-face with Wormtail and Bellatrix.

_"A Death Eater raid was cut short last night. Apparently, the house chosen as a target was none other than the home of Auror Nymphadora Tonks, who was hosting the law enforcement department's yearly Christmas party. Apprehended were Bellatrix Lestrange, who escaped Azkaban at the beginning of this year. _

_Also captured was, surprisingly enough, Peter Pettigrew, whom was believed to be dead since 1981. Pettigrew made a full confession at the time of his capture, claiming responsibility for the explosion which left 12 muggles dead. With this confession, the Minister has posthumously pardoned Sirius Black, who was sentenced to Azkaban for the murder of Pettigrew and the Muggle bystanders, and who is reported to have died earlier this year during the incident at the Ministry of Magic._

_Both Pettigrew and Lestrange have been sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss, at a yet unknown date._

_Strangely, both Pettigrew and Lestrange claimed that they were sent with a number of other Death Eaters, however, there was no sign of anyone else at the scene."_

Harry looked up at Tom, speechless. He handed the paper to Remus, who's eyes went wide as he read the article. Ginny read over her teacher's shoulder.

"Pettigrew? Wasn't he the one that spent 11 years as Percy and Ron's pet?" Harry nodded. Ginny shivered. "I can't believe that... creature lived in the same house as me for most of my life. You know how many times he bit me?" Harry closed his eyes. Finally, Sirius' name was cleared... and he wasn't even around to enjoy it. Leaning against Tom, he wiped his eyes.

"Thank you." He whispered, unable to speak any louder than that.

A long silence descended over the room. Remus, who had handed the paper to Severus, was blinking back tears. Severus wasn't sure how to react. Without Wormtail and Bellatrix, it truly felt like the end of an era. Finally, he excused himself, mumbling something about coffee. Walking into the kitchen, he eyed the sludge that filled the coffee pot, before deciding that all he really needed right now was a glass of water. Taking his time, he filled a glass and drained it. When he returned to the den, the two men had managed to compose themselves.

Sitting down, he took a deep breath. Taking that as a sign, Harry reached for the first present on the pile he had pulled out of his jacket.

"Alright, um, this is from Ginny to Tom." Tom grabbed the proffered bag, and, looking in it, he laughed. Holding it open for Harry to look at, he winked at the red head. The young brunet turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. "Ginny!"

Remus looked at the red-head, who had started shaking with laughter. He turned to Tom, and said conversationally, "You know, he sure spends a lot of time blushing." Tom snorted.

"Well, he has good reason this time." Tom pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Severus snickered, looking at the girl. Well, she had guts alright.

"Anyways," Harry cut in, face still an unhealthy shade of red, "It's time for the next present. Here you go, Professor, this is from me." He handed a package to Snape, who opened it gingerly. Inside were several expensive potions books. "They're the same ones you kept borrowing from the library at the house. I thought you might want your own copies." Severus was oddly touched. He hadn't expected the boy to notice what he was looking at, much less buy him copies.

"Well, thank you, Mister Potter." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Can't you please just call me Harry? Whenever you say "Mister Potter" I think I'm in trouble for something." Severus smiled, which shocked Ginny so much she nearly fell off the sofa.

"Alright, then- Harry." He pulled a small package out of his pocket. "This is for you."

Harry unwrapped the package, revealing a small vial- only a mouthful- containing a liquid that looked like molten gold. "That, Harry, is Felix Felicis- luck potion. I happened to find that vial a few days ago- I felt that you are much more likely to need it than I am." Harry looked up, and frowned at the stunned looks Tom and Remus were wearing.

"Erm, thank you, sir. I'll put it to good use." Harry placed the vial reverently on the coffee table, where it wouldn't be knocked off the edge.

Ginny proceeded to hand out her gift to Severus, which had unfortunately been purchased from the twins, and had the effect of turning the man's hair bright green with silver streaks- she had gotten the custom colour kit, which promised to last for 48 hours. Harry handed Tom the box which contained his gift- lifting the lid, Tom raised an eyebrow, and shut the box again, ignoring the looks he was getting from the other occupants of the room.

Tom's gift to Severus was a bottle of firewhiskey and a magazine sized book with twelve slots in the binding. The Potions Master glared at the one-time Dark Lord, who was laughing along with Harry, who had received the same gift for his birthday, and Ginny, who recognized the book from under Harry's mattress. Severus handed Tom a vial full of a dark blue viscous fluid, which caused Tom to blush, but no explanation was offered. Both men had gotten a gift for Ginny- Tom, a book entitled _The Fine Art of Keeping Secrets_, and Severus, a potion which she was told to add to her brother's food when his ego started to get too big. Finally, Remus handed Tom a bottle of an unidentified alcoholic beverage, which Tom seemed to recognize, and which came with a firm admonition to keep it away from Harry until he was 18. Once the group was done exchanging presents, they sat down to to a leisurely brunch, during which Harry and Tom made a sickening display of cuddling, which Ginny proclaimed as "gagworthy". Eventually, the four of them had to return to Grimmauld Place. Harry spent the next 15 minutes kissing Tom, assuring him that he'd drop by as soon as he was able to sneak out, until Ginny got fed up with the display and shoved Harry out the door, yelling over her shoulder that they'd had a great time, and they'd be back to visit again soon- and they'd bring coffee.

------

Wow, that ending seemed a bit anticlimactic. Can you tell where I went from "sorta tired" to "absolutely fucking exhausted"?

Next Chapter- Harry gets lucky (no, not like that)! Remus gets luckier! And possibly, gratuitous alcohol abuse!


	8. 08: Reunions

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

I know Tom was a little OOC last chapter, but it was the Christmas section, and I wanted fluff, damnit!

------

Returning to Grimmauld Place, Harry rushed up the stairs to his room before anyone could question him. Tossing his things into his trunk, he climbed into bed, and allowed himself to doze for a while. It seemed that the only person who had gotten up while they were out was Molly, who had come out of the kitchen in time to catch up with Remus and Severus. Before she could ask them about the trip, though, Severus had handed her that morning's copy of the Daily Prophet (which he had thought to put in his pocket before they left Tom's), and stalked off. This effectively derailed any comments she might have had about the risks involved in going out, and she was quickly flooing Tonks to ask her about it.

Harry waited until after Ron had left the room to climb out of bed. Walking over to his trunk, he took out the bottle of Felix Felicis and thought about what Tom had told him about it.

_"Felix Felicis- it takes 6 months to brew, and any mistakes could be catastrophic. There's enough there for a full day of ridiculously good luck- you just take it, and follow your impulses. even a couple drops of it will last for an hour or two."_

Harry took the stopper out of th e bottle and sniffed it, curious. Hmm, not too bad... shrugging his shoulders, Harry tipped the vial into his mouth, letting a few drops fall onto his tongue. A warm, slightly giddy feeling enveloped him. Suddenly, he felt the urge to go to the library. Deciding to go with it, he grabbed his assignments and some spare parchment, and went.

When he got to the library, he set his things on the table, and then walked over to the nearest bookshelf. _Maybe I'll find a book on poisons for my potions essay?_ He stopped as he noticed a large, gray tome with no discernible title. Pulling it out, he let the book fall open at random. He froze as he saw the heading on the page in front of him.

_The Veil_

_While most scholars agree that there is generally no way to bring back the dead, the veil is unique in that it will allow those who fall through it to be retrieved. The ceremony involved is actually quite simple, although it is often problematic, as it involves the presence- and consent- of one who despised the deceased in life. Also necessary is an unrelated party who loved the deceased, either as a lover or as a close friend, the heir of the deceased, and a favorite object of the deceased- all of which would hold a different aspect of the person's personality, assuring that the correct individual was returned. Once these are gathered in front of the veil, the heir must only say a simple incantation, and, if everything else is correctly gathered, the deceased will be ejected from the veil, whole of body and of mind. This ritual is rarely used, however, as it us unsurprisingly difficult to get someone who detested the deceased to consent to help resurrect them. Examples of those pulled through the veil are... _

Harry looked up, shocked. grabbing a scrap of parchment to mark the book, he ran out of the room to find Remus.

------

"Remus! You have to see this!" Harry pounded at the werewolf's door. The door opened, and Harry dashed into the room. Remus, who had been sleeping, rubbed his eyes. Honestly, he loved the kid, but sometimes it was hard to do. "I found a way to get Sirius back!"

Remus froze. "Say that again?"

Harry shoved the open book into the older man's hands. "Look, I took a little bit of the luck potion, and I found this! We can get Sirius back!" Remus looked over the book, paling. He walked over to the bed and sunk down, dazed.

"We just need to convince Snape to help, I'm sure I can get him to, and then we can sneak into the ministry somehow, and Hagrid gave me Sirius' motorcycle, I know he loved it, he used to talk about it all the time, and-" Harry was babbling now. "And his name;s cleared now, it's only fair that he get to enjoy it, so are we going to do this or what?" Remus sat there, going over it in his head. _Sirius, alive?_ he broke out into a grin. "You go find Arthur, I'm sure he can help us get in. I'll deal with Severus." Harry hugged the werewolf, and practically skipped out of the room. Remus shook his head. This wasn't going to be easy.

------

"No. Absolutely not. No way in hell." Snape shook his head, adamant. He was not going to bring back that mutt!

"Please, Severus? It would mean so much to Harry. I promise, the first time he makes a "greasy git" comment or calls you Snivillus, I'll kick his arse myself. Plus, he'll owe you big for this- I mean, think about it. And if he's around, Harry and Ginny will have someone else to pester!" Remus looked up at the potions master, eyes wide. Sighing, Severus rolled his eyes. _Damn that wolf. He can be awfully convincing sometimes._

"Alright, but you owe me, Lupin. And I swear, one mention of this to anyone at Hogwarts, and I'll push him back through myself!" Jumping up, the werewolf thanked him profusely, before bounding out to find Harry.

"Honestly," muttered Severus to himself, "the things I'll do for those people."

------

"He's in! He agreed!" Remus ran up to Harry, who has sitting in the kitchen, waiting for Arthur to come down for... well, whatever meal it is at 2 in the afternoon after a night of heavy drinking. Molly was writing a shopping list, and had just gone into the pantry to check on the levels of flour, sugar, and other staples, when she let out a bit of a shriek. Kreacher- who hadn't been seen in months- had curled up on a shelf, and was snoring gently.

Molly backed out of the cupboard. "I found that house elf. The nerve of him, staying here after all that! Why, at least he could have had the decency to stay away! I ought to-" Harry stood up, interrupting her with a raised hand.

"Kreacher, come here." The house elf appeared, still groggy. Seeing who was standing in front of him, he started to yell. "No! Kreacher will not listen to Harry Potter! If Mistress could see what filth was in her house, beautiful, good mistress-" Harry, afraid that his shouting would wake up Sirius' mum, interrupted him.

"Kreacher, shut up!" Kreacher's eyes bulged as his mouth clamped shut. Molly looked over at the young Gryffindor, mouth open.

"But, how- I mean, why is he-" Molly stumbled, trying to find the right question.

"Sirius left a will- I found out about it in August. I'm his sole heir, so Kreacher _has_ to listen to me." Harry sat back down. "Kreacher, where were you?"

The house elf pouted. "Kreacher is being with Mistress Bellatrix. Kreacher is wanting her for a Mistress, but stupid Aurors caught her at that stupid daughter of a blood-traitor's house." Harry sighed.

Turning to Molly, he asked, "Well, what should we do with him?" Molly looked, and shook her head. "I don't know. There really isn't that much we can do with him- maybe send him to Hogwarts for the time being? They could always use more house elves, and I'm sure they'll keep him in line." Harry looked at Remus, who nodded, and then turned to Kreacher.

"You will go to Hogwarts. You will report to whoever is in charge of the kitchens. You will listen to them, and do what they tell you. You will not do anything to bring harm to anyone there." Kreacher thought about his orders and scowled as he found no way to circumvent them. With a snap, Kreacher was gone.

The three of them sat in silence for a few moments. Just as Molly was about to speak, Arthur ran in.

"What happened? I heard yelling? Is everything alright?" Harry quickly recounted what just happened, then explained about his trip to Gringotts during which he found out about Sirius' will. The two Weasleys stood there for a minute, letting that sink in. After a while, Molly turned to Harry.

"Dumbledore knew this? And he didn't tell you?" Harry shook his head.

"Apparently. The goblin said that they had been trying to contact me for a while." He shrugged. "He probably had his reasons, though. He always does." Harry did his best to hide his bitterness. The two seemed to buy it, though.

"Anyways, Mr. Weasley, sir, I needed to talk to you. I found something in the library, and I need your help." He slid the book over to Arthur, who scanned it quickly. "Do you think you can help me, Professor Lupin, and Professor Snape get in?" Arthur thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"I think so. I'll talk to Croaker - he's an unspeakable, you know- and tell him that you wanted to see where he died, for sentimental reasons. In fact, if I floo him right now, I might be able to get you in tomorrow morning, how's that?" Harry and Remus both nodded.

"Thank you, sir. This- " Harry started to choke up. "-This means a lot to me." Arthur shook his head and threw his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"Harry, you're family. This is what family does for each other." Harry nodded. It was still hard for him to imagine. Just a few hours ago, he had been sure that Sirius was gone forever, but now, if all went according to plan, he'd be reunited with his godfather tomorrow. It was a little hard to take.

"Harry, why don't you head to the drawing room? I'm going to make some cocoa, you want some?" Harry nodded at the werewolf, who seemed to be tearing up. Getting up, he turned to Arthur and thanked him again. Arthur shook his head, and waved Harry off. Turning to Remus and Molly, Arthur sighed.

"It sounds like Harry's had a long day." Molly shook her head.

"You don't even know the half of it." She handed her husband that morning's copy of the Daily Prophet. Arthur read the first page, and then sat the paper down and whistled.

"Well, it's about time things started going right for him. He deserves it." Remus nodded his agreement as he got up and started making cocoa.

------

Harry was absent from dinner that night. Molly refused to answer any of Ginny's questions about his whereabouts, only stating that "He's had a long day, and needs his rest." Ron made a comment to the effect that, last he saw Harry, he was up in his room crying like a pansy, and was subsequently told that he was to spend the night on the sofa, so as not to disturb the other boy. Finally, once everyone had finished eating, Molly set about making up a plate for Harry, which she sent up with Ginny.

Knocking on the door, Ginny waited until she heard a muffled grunt from Harry before walking into the room. Harry was sprawled on his bed, photo album open, holding Sirius' motorcycle, which was still (obviously) shrunk down. "Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry looked up at the girl, grinning. "I'm better than alright, Gin. Here, look at this." He pushed the book towards the red head, who frowned for a minute, and then went pale.

"You mean...?" Harry nodded.

"Your dad talked to one of the Unspeakables- we're going to try it tomorrow morning." Ginny sat the plate down carefully before bounding over to her friend and practically jumping on him. "So, I guess Remus is going to help you, but who's the third?" Her eyes widened. "Not-?"

"Snape? Yeah. I'm not sure what Remus said to him, but he agreed to help. Maybe he figures it's something to lord over Sirius, but, hey, what do I care? I'm getting my godfather back!"

The girl grinned at her surrogate brother. "That's awesome, Harry. Now eat, or mum will have your head." Harry grinned back and dug into Molly's fabulous pot roast. Only a few more hours...

------

Harry, Severus, and Remus left for the Ministry at quarter to 8 the next morning. Severus, who was more adept at Apparating than Arthur, side-along Apparated Harry, an experience which Harry found rather unpleasant.

The three men crowded into the phone booth, and, once they managed to close the door, Severus picked up the phone and dialed.

"Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Harry Potter here. We have an appointment for a Mr... Croaker? in the Department of Mysteries." Affixing his badge, Harry stepped out of the booth, which had come to rest at the reception desk. As the security guard examined his wand, Harry looked around. The atrium had been repaired masterfully. The only sign of the battle that had occurred last June was the fact that, where the Fountain of Magical Brethren had once stood, there was a new statue- Harry was amused to note that it was of the battle which had destroyed the original statue to begin with.

The three were walking toward the lift when a tall, heavy set man approached them. Harry recognized him as Croaker, whom he had been introduced to at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Hello there. I'm Elias Croaker- I was told you wished to see the room of Death?" Harry nodded.

Remus cut in. "Arthur told us you'd be able to help us- we wanted to visit the spot where Sirius-" he stopped and swallowed. Croaker nodded.

"Alright, then, follow me." Croaker led the group to the nearest lift, which was empty save for a tiny witch, no taller than Flitwick, whom Croaker nodded to. They rode in silence, reaching the Department of Mysteries in only a few seconds, and following Croaker to the room with the rotating doors. Shutting the door, they waited until the room had finished spinning, after which Croaker walked confidently to a door across and to the left from where they stood. He opened the door, and waved them through.

"I'll be waiting out here. Please, don't do anything stupid like try to throw yourself into the veil- it creates far too much paperwork. Just come out when you're done, and I'll escort you out."

He closed the door, and then they were alone with the veil. Harry pulled the shrunken motorcycle out of one pocket, and a piece of parchment on which he had methodically copied out the information from the book from another. Examining the parchment closely, he nodded. "Alright. Professor Snape, you need to be on my right. Professor Lupin, you need to be on my left. Er, the motorcycle- can one of you unshrink it? Thank you, sir," he nodded at Remus, who had resized the bike. "and now, we do this."

Pulling out his wand, Harry took a deep breath, and recited the incantation. "_Refero Mane Captus Antecessor Humanus Sirius Black!_" The chamber lit up, and a stream of light extended from the center of the veil to the floor in front of Harry's feet. As he watched, a hazy form appeared. Suddenly, the lights were extinguished. There was silence, and then the dim light from before returned. Lying on the ground was the form of Sirius Black, unmoving. Remus was the first to move, dashing to the side of his friend.

"Siri?" Remus looked at the man, hopeful.

Sirius' eyes fluttered open. "Moony?" He croaked. Eyes going wide, Remus threw his arms around Sirius. "Oh, Merlin, I missed you! Harry, get over here!" Harry dashed over to his godfather's side, clinging to him. Sirius looked up at them, amused. Glancing over at were Snape had been standing, he snorted. The potions master had fainted.

------

After much fuss, the group had left the Ministry, accompanied by Arthur, who had taken his lunch break early, and Tonks, who had simply told her superior that she'd be back later, if she could. Croaker had managed not to look surprised at this turn of events, simply asking Harry if he would mind passing on the book in which Harry had found the spell. Harry had promised to send a copy with Arthur the next day.

Apparating back to Grimmauld Place, Sirius grimaced. "You're staying here?" Harry nodded.

"Just for Christmas- it has more bedrooms than the Burrow, you know." Harry and Remus helped Sirius up the stairs to the werewolf's bedroom. Ginny, Ron and Hermione followed, wanting to talk to the man, but Molly told them firmly that they were not to disturb him until he had gotten a good meal and some sleep. She went down to get some soup, with the three students firmly in tow, leaving Harry and Remus alone with the man who had been dead for the past six months.

"So, Harry, what's new and exciting in your life?" Harry looked down.

"Erm, well, nothing, really. Just the usual." Sirius smirked at him.

"You know, Harry, when you're dead, there really isn't that much to do, other than sit around and watch the living." Harry turned red as the animagus reached over to ruffle his hair. "Oh, and Harry? Your mum and dad wanted me to tell you that they love you and miss you, and that Dumbledore is allergic to shellfish." Harry managed a grin at that. Turning to Remus, the man continued. "And you. Did you really have to tell Sn-Snape that I'd "owe him big"? Really, how am I supposed to live up to that?"

------

The next few days passed in a blur. When the twins arrived for dinner that first night, they nearly wet themselves when Sirius answered the door.

"Wait, aren't you dead?" Fred finally managed to blurt out.

Sirius shrugged. "I got better." George rolled his eyes and dragged his twin into the house.

Sirius, for his part, was acting more like a kid than usual. He bounded through the house, stopping to give bear hugs to anyone who got in his way, including Fleur, Miro, and even Snape on one occasion. When he saw the newspaper article declaring his pardon, he immediately dragged his godson outside, despite the fact that it was close to 10 pm and snowing heavily, stating that he hadn't gone for a walk in far too long- of course, once they were outside, he proceeded to pester his godson until he agreed to introduce him to Tom, whom Harry hadn't had a chance to tell yet. The introduction went well, with Sirius only threatening his godson's boyfriend twice before dragging Harry off, who shot an apologetic look at Tom, yelling that he'd owl him.

So it went until New Year's Eve. Sirius, of course, had proclaimed that Harry had to spend the night at Tom's, and Sirius had to spend the night getting his godson drunk, and Remus had to spend the night making sure that he didn't do anything too stupid, like he did that one year when James dared him to go streaking through the neighborhood, and how was he to know that there had been that church group was having its New Year's Party on the neighbor's terrace? and eventually, Ginny and Severus had gotten invited along too, the former claiming that she was not going to be stuck with Ron and Hermione if Harry got to escape, the latter having no say whatsoever in the decision, but deciding that it couldn't be worse than spending the night in a house full of inebriated red-heads- the twins were especially scary, as alcohol only served to make them more creative. So, full of good spirits, and carrying several bottles of spirits (and, in Ginny's case, a bag of specialty coffee) they were off.

------

Tom opened the door, remembering to brace for impact. He wasn't disappointed, as Harry nearly bowled him over again. Ginny rushed in behind him, this time mumbling something about her "stupid brothers not being able to hold their spirits" as she ran off in the direction of the loo. Sirius followed her, stopping to hand Tom a large bottle of Red Currant Rum before being shoved out of the way by Remus and Severus, who looked like he had just been force-fed a gallon of vinegar. The group gathered in the den, with Ginny joining them after stopping in the kitchen to drop off the shrunken bag of coffee.

Tom had already set out glasses in the den, as well as a bottle of firewhiskey, beside which he set the bottle of rum that Sirius had handed to him, He poured himself a glass of the latter, and passed the bottle over to Harry, who blushed a little, but poured himself a drink. He passed the bottle on to his godfather, who poured a drink for himself and Remus, passing it on to Ginny, who was about to pour herself a glass when Severus snatched the bottle away from her. Ginny pouted at the Potions Master, who rolled his eyes, but handed the bottle back to the girl._ Let someone else worry about the brat for a change_, he thought, pouring himself a glass.

The gathering continued for an hour, with everyone quietly chatting. Sirius, though, wasn't satisfied, noticing that the level of alcohol in the bottle wasn't decreasing fast enough for his liking.

"You know what we need, Moony?" Remus just rolled his eyes, knowing where the animagus was going with this. "We need to start a drinking game. I mean, it just isn't New Years without people ingesting unsafe amounts of alcohol, is it?"

"You know, Molly's going to murder you if you get Ginny drunk, you oaf." Sirius pouted.

"But, look! Sn-Snape's been nursing that same glass of rum for the last 45 minutes! And he's just sitting there glaring! Maybe if we feed him more booze, he'll stop giving me that look..."

Severus snorted. "I'd be more likely to stop glaring if you'd stop planning to "feed me more booze" as you put it. And not all of us are willing to abuse our liver as much as you are."

Ginny cut in. "Whatever we're doing, can we get started quick? Those two-" she pointed at Harry, who was sitting in Tom's lap, "are getting all cute again."

Sirius' eyes gleamed. "So, it's settled. How about "I never"? Great- Remus, pass me your glass, Ginny, try to bring Harry and Tom back to the real world. Snape, stop scowling. It's New Years!" Sirius quickly refilled the glasses, and, once Tom and Harry were paying attention, started to explain what they were doing. "Alright, so anyone not played before? Just you, Snape? Alright, it's simple. Someone says something they've never done, and everyone who's done it has to drink. Or, you could say something that you have done, but then you'd have to drink, too. Simple, right? Good. Now, to start. I've never woken up in someone's bed with no idea how I got there." He picked up his drink and swallowed it back. Remus reluctantly reached for his drink. "Alright, there, Snape, you're next." Snape sniffed.

"I've never melted a cauldron." Tom snorted as everyone except him and the Potions Master downed their drinks. "Now, Miss Weasley, if you will?"

Ginny sat up, and eyed the werewolf and the animagus, thinking. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to confirm her suspicions about the two. "I've never had sex with anyone in this room." She smirked as both of the men across from her reluctantly picked up their shots. She noticed that, despite the fact that both Severus and Tom had drained their glasses, Harry's remained full. Seeing her questioning look, he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Alright, then Ginny. Keeping with the current theme, I've never had sex with anyone from Hogwarts who wasn't in my house." Ginny blushed, but downed her drink. Tom also drank, looking at Harry apologetically. And so the game continued, with the statement's getting stranger and more revealing ("I never got caught masturbating after quidditch" had Ginny drinking, bright red.) Remus snorting after each statement revealed another unknown fact about his boyfriend. Sirius, finally, tried to console the man.

"I never had sex with anyone whom I wasn't going out with." He said, trying to ease his boyfriend's worry about his fidelity. He didn't realize what he had said until he saw Harry raise his glass, shaking. Harry finished his drink, and leaned his head against Tom's chest, eyes watering. "Harry?"

"I'm fine." The teen bit out, not wanting to discuss this now- or ever. Tom reached around him and pulled him tight. "I'm fine!" Ha stated, a little more strongly. Severus, Ginny, and Remus looked at Harry, concerned. Ginny looked up at Tom, who shook his head. Sensing the need for privacy, she stood up.

"Professors, I- er, just remembered. I needed to talk to you about- um- that project!" Grabbing both of the men's hands, she nearly yanked them to the kitchen, leaving Harry alone with his godfather and boyfriend.

"Look, can you stop staring at me? I'm fine! It's just- I think I've had to much to drink is all." He finished lamely. "I'd really feel a lot better if I just had a minute, really." Sirius shook his head.

"You aren't fine, Harry. I wasn't thinking, I said something stupid- I was watching you for the last six months, I should have realized- and I'm sorry, and you have every right to be pissed at me. Just don't pretend that you're fine after what that bastard did." The animagus reached over and put his hand on Harry's back, rubbing soothingly. The teen started to relax, and then suddenly sat up.

"Oh, shit- if you know, then my mum and dad-" the colour drained out of his face.

"-Would happily strangle Vernon Dursley as well as Albus Dumbledore for placing you with that bastard." Harry ignored this, curling back up against Tom. My parents know! They know I'm weak, that I can't even protect myself, that I'm just some dirty weakling. Sirius sighed. He'd been back for less than a week, and he was already causing problems. He looked up at Tom, and said softly, "I don't think I'm going to be much help. Should I just...?" He pointed to the kitchen. Tom nodded.

"I think he needs a little privacy- I'll take him upstairs." Tom helped Harry up, and led him up to his room, where the boy immediately climbed onto the bed and curled up into a little ball. Tom sat down beside him.

"I didn't want them to know. They know I'm weak, I'm dirty, I'm just a little wimp, a freak like he always said." Harry was sobbing. Tom pulled the teen into his arms.

"Harry, you are not weak, dirty, a wimp, or a freak. You are not dirty- don't shake your head, you aren't. You are the bravest person I know. And I doubt that most people could take on your uncle without magic- he's just too damn big. And you are not a freak. He's an idiot, Harry, and he doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as you. And your parents know this."

"But it was my fault. I should of-"

"Should of what, Harry? Used magic and gotten yourself expelled? Maybe have killed him, and ended up in Azkaban?"

"But the restriction on magic says that if it's in self defense-"

"Harry, the Ministry doesn't care about that. I mean, they gave you a full trial for using a Patronus, for Merlin's sake! Harry, stop it. There is no way you'll convince me you are anything but perfect, and that's final." He kissed the Gryffindor's forehead, and rested his chin on the top of Harry's head. He was going to kill Vernon Dursley for hurting his Harry.

------

Downstairs, the three men and Ginny had returned to the living room. They had all questioned Sirius, who refused to give any details, telling them that it was none of their business until Harry decided otherwise. After what felt like an eternity, Tom came down the stairs.

"He's sleeping. None of you-" he glared at the three Gryffindors, "are to disturb him." He sat down, draining his glass, and refilling it.

"How is he?" asked Sirius, timidly.

"Worn out. I swear, when I get my hands on that bastard..." Tom trailed off. Sirius was nodding. "Count me in. I have thirteen free shots, anyways, don't I?"

Finally, Ginny couldn't take any more. "Will someone please tell me what's going on? Who hurt Harry like this? Wha..." she trailed off as Tom glared at her. Furrowing her brows, she tried to concentrate. There was something in the back of her head, something which was related to this... she looked up. "It's the muggles, isn't it?" Tom sighed. Sirius looked down at his drink. "It is, isn't it? This summer, they didn't just hit him, did they?" Remus and Severus were going pale. "And Dumbledore didn't do anything- that cunt! He knew, too, I'd bet. After all, he had to make sure that his fucking weapon didn't get too damaged, didn't he? Damnit, when I get my hands on that fucking tosser, I'm going to-"

"Ginevra Weasley, you will stop talking right now. You will not bring this up to Harry, you will not pester him to tell you what happened. You will wait until he is ready to talk to you." He nodded at the two professors, who were still pale. "He needs a bit of space right now, but don't be cold, either. He kept referring to himself as weak and dirty- he's afraid of what people would think of him." The two men nodded, and Tom sighed. "I'm going to head back up there. Try not to make too much of a mess." Without waiting for a response, Tom got up and walked up the stairs.

Harry sat up when he heard the bedroom door open. "Tom?"

Tom walked over to the bed and sat down. "Yeah, love. It's me." Harry grabbed onto the older man, clinging to him.

"I'm sorry, Tom, I didn't mean to be a problem. I-" Tom cut him off.

"Harry, it's fine. I thought you were asleep." Harry shook his head.

"Just dozing. I thought you left me." Tom pulled the teen onto his lap.

"I wouldn't leave you, Harry. I just wanted to tell your godfather that you were alright before he decided to head up here." He shifted Harry onto the bed, and curled up beside him, carding his fingers through the young man's hair. It wasn't long before Harry started snoring lightly. It took Tom much longer to fall asleep.

------

refero- Bring back

mane- early

captus- Taken

antecessor- predecessor

humanus- human (to distinguish from any of the other species which could fall through the veil)

This ended up way differently (and far angstier) than I had first planned. I just threw in the drinking game to keep it moving along, and then things started to change. Ginny wasn't supposed to find out about the rape until later.

Updates may slow down a little, as my computer is being an absolute cunt right now- It's overheating at the drop of a hat, I had to stop yesterday when the shift key got stuck, and the delete key keeps activating at random... . Plus, I'm still sick- it's great, all I feel like doing is sleeping. Oh, and bitch about how much this cold sucks. But you may be pleased to know that I have the final battle mostly written out, except for a few picky details...

Next Chapter! Dumbles stirs things up! Ginny learns about hangovers! And why is Ron being suck a fuckwad?


	9. 09: Exposed

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

Additional warning: Citrus! That rating's there for a reason, you know!

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

:Parseltongue:

So, my backspace key just went the way of the dodo. This might mean even more of a slowdown, judging by how it affected this chapter. Then again, maybe I should just learn to type things right the first time.

------

Ginny woke up the next morning feeling like shit. She started to get up from where she had passed out on the couch, but realized right away what a horrible idea that was. Shifting, she heard a muttered ouch from by her feet. Sitting up- carefully- she looked over at her potion's professor, whom she had just kicked, and who appeared to be wearing make-up- courtesy of Sirius, of course, who held firm the philosophy of "he who passes out first shall have copious amounts of lipstick, nail polish and rouge applied." Where he had gotten the makeup Ginny had no idea, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the lady of the house would have to go shopping once she returned from her "vacation".

Climbing up, she carefully made her way to the loo. Looking down, she rolled her eyes. Sirius had passed out in the doorway, making it impossible to close the door. She shook her head, winced at the sudden wave of nausea that brought on, and stepped over him. A few not-so-gentle nudges persuaded the man to move out of the doorway and into the hall.

Stepping out of the w/c half an hour later, Ginny felt better. She still felt horrible, but she no longer wanted to curl up and die. Stepping over Sirius, she walked carefully to the kitchen. Remus had already made coffee and was in the middle of making what looked to be a rather hearty fry-up, although Ginny couldn't see how anyone could stand to eat anything if they felt like her. A sudden yell made her wince. "Looks like Snape's up." Remus rolled his eyes. "What happened last night? All I can remember is Sirius handing me drinks..." she trailed off as Severus entered the kitchen.

"Who's bright idea was this?" Ginny cringed.

"Keep it down, please? As for the make up, ask the git passed out in the hallway." Severus stormed off. A moment later, there was a yelp, and a series of unintelligible spells. Severus walked into the kitchen, a satisfied grin on his face. He was followed by Sirius, who's skin had been turned a violent shade of orange that clashed horribly with his violet hair. Ginny giggled as loudly as her pounding head would let her. Sirius, for his part, pretended that nothing was wrong.

"Morning, all. So, Ginny, how you doing." Ginny made an obscene gesture."That well, then? Well, have some bacon, you'll feel better in no time." He grabbed a plate, and started piling food on it. "It's the best thing for a hangover, really. Here, have some coffee, too. Not too much, though- you need liquid." Remus snorted.

"Listen to the man, Ginny. He knows what he's talking about- he's talking from experience, after all." The animagus swiped at the werewolf, and went to sit down.

"So, any sign of those two?" Remus shook his head.

"They're probably asleep still- Ginny, you feeling brave enough to check on them?" Ginny got up.

"Not really, but I'll do it anyways."

Ginny walked up to the bedroom and knocked. "Hey, you blokes still alive in there?" A muttered response- sounding suspiciously like "fuck off"- was heard. She shrugged, and went back to the kitchen.

------

Harry and Tom, not having drunk nearly as much as Ginny, were feeling much better when they woke up that morning. Harry woke up first, feeling Tom's arms around him, and sighing and snuggling closer. This motion was enough to rouse Tom, who tightened his grip on the teen.

"G'mornin' love" he murmured, trying not to yawn, "how you feelin'?"

Harry rolled over to face the older man. "Better." He moved in to kiss Tom, but Tom dodged it.

"Gimme a minute- my mouth tastes like something died in it." He reached over to the nightstand, and took a sip from the glass of water resting there. He then grabbed his wand and muttered "_tersus oris_" before rolling back to face the boy. "Much better." Harry rolled his eyes and gave Tom a quick kiss.

"What exactly was that charm, anyways?"

"Mouth cleaning charm. Not as pleasant as toothpaste, but it gets the job done. I'm surprised they don't bother to teach it at Hogwarts, actually. It's a damn sight more useful than transfiguring a hedgehog into a pincushion."

Harry nodded, yawning. He grabbed his own wand. "_Tersus oris_, right?" He cast it on himself, frowning at the odd sensation. Tucking his wand back under his pillow, he moved back over to Tom, kissing him much more thoroughly this time. Tom responded by rolling on top of the teen and nipping at his lower lip. He had just started tracing kisses along the young man's jaw, when he heard a scream from downstairs. Tom rolled his eyes. "Severus." Harry snickered. Tom kissed him softly on the lips, before moving down to suck and bite at Harry's neck. At the same time, he reached down to grab the hem of Harry's shirt, yanking it up. Harry arced so that Tom could remove the shirt, shivering slightly. Once he had removed his boyfriend's shirt, Tom began nipping at the juncture between Harry's neck and shoulder, bringing a bruise to the surface and earning a groan from the boy beneath him.

He made his way across Harry's collarbone and down to Harry's chest, where he started on the delicate flesh of the teen's nipples. Laving at the pebbled flesh, he coaxed a moan out of the boy. He had just started on the other nipple when there was a knock on the door. "Oh, fuck off!" Harry groaned. The fates seemed to be smiling on them that morning, as, wonder of wonders, they heard footsteps walking away from the door. Harry smiled, and Tom nipped. :Oh, Fuck!: Harry hissed. Tom smiled, and started trailing his hand down Harry's chest, following it with his tongue. He stopped when he reached the waist of Harry's jeans, and looked up. :Oh, god, more!: Tom felt a twinge in his cock at Harry's cry. Quickly undoing the button and fly of the trousers, he practically tore them off of the body beneath him. Harry hissed as Tom accidentally brushed against the front of his boxers. "Please, Tom, I need you."

Tom grinned wolfishly and pulled down Harry's pants, exposing his rock-hard member. He proceeded to tease the young Gryffindor, nipping at his thighs, smirking as Harry groaned in frustration. :Tom, please: the young man begged, and Tom complied, taking Harry in his mouth. It was all Harry could do not to buck his hips. Tom skillfully maneuvered his tongue, eliciting a string of moans and broken curses.

:Tom, please, I want...: Harry bit his lip. He wasn't sure how to ask this. :Tom...:

:Tell me what you want, Harry. I need you to say it: Tom looked up, tongue still in motion. Harry moaned.

:I want you inside of me, Tom. Please, I want you- : Tom silenced Harry with a gesture. Stopping what he was doing, Tom reached for the night stand, and opened the drawer. He pulled out the box Harry had given him for Christmas, and, removing the lid, revealed a collection of scented oils. Pulling out the first vial, he turned to Harry.

"Are you sure about this, love?"

"Tom, just hurry up and fuck me already!" snorting, Tom poured a small amount of oil onto his fingers and quickly prepared Harry while he undid his own trousers. Harry gasped as Tom's fingers grazed the sensitive spot inside of him.

"Good?" Tom smiled, pressing the spot again, causing Harry to keen.

:Need you now, Tom!: Tom pulled out his fingers, and Harry whimpered at the loss. The feeling didn't last long, however, soon he felt something much larger pressed against him. Tom lifted Harry's legs to rest on his shoulders, and slowly slipped inside the younger man, who let out a loud groan at the sensation. His breath hitched as Tom once again grazed that sensitive patch.

Once he was in, Tom paused to let Harry adjust to his size. After what felt like an eternity, Harry nodded, and started thrusting slowly. As he thrust, he shifted, looking for the right position. Finally Harry let out a cry and fisted his hands in the sheet. :Oh fuck, harder!: Harry keened, as Tom sped up. "God, Tom" :feels so good: "Gonna come!" Harry arched his back and let out an inarticulate cry as he came. The sounds the younger man made were music to Tom, who thrust a few more times before coming himself, collapsing on top of Harry. He looked up at his young lover, who was still dazed.

"I love you, you know?" Harry smiled and nodded, unable to form words. Tom shifted to grab his wand, and, a quick _scourgify_ later, he curled up, Harry in his arms, and drifted off to sleep.

------

Meanwhile...

Rita Skeeter was just sitting down to a late breakfast when she heard the unmistakable sound of a beak tapping on her window. Opening it, she stepped back as a large eagle owl hopped through, a package tied to its foot. Untying the package, she absentmindedly fed the owl a piece of bacon as she read the note.

"_Ms. Skeeter-_

_I have recently come across some interesting information regarding the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. I am passing it on to you in the hopes that you can provide the public with the full story. All I ask is that you do not distort the results of this study whatsoever, and that you add a request for anyone else who may have been involved to contact you- you will understand why once you read the material. I will contact you again after the story is published._

_Regards,_

_A concerned citizen_"

She nodded toward the owl, who hopped to the windowsill and flew off. Humming, she opened the package, retrieving a file. Setting to read the file, her eyes began to gleam. Oh, yes, she could work with this.

------

Four days later, it was time to head back to Hogwarts. Sirius, who had declined to take on the title of the head of the Black family again, had finally agreed to take back the key to the Black family vault, and had rented himself a cozy cottage on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. He had had a long conversation with Professor McGonagall upon his return to the land of the living, and one of the results of that conversation was the reinstating of Harry's Hogsmeade visits.

Slipping through the barrier onto Platform 9 3/4, Harry grinned. It looked like it was going to be a great day. Sirius, who was in his animagus form- no sense in causing a panic, and, while the Ministry knew he was back, they had managed to avoid any publicity- yipped, causing Harry to look up. Draco frowned, looked at Snuffles, up to Harry's face, and then back to the dog, who was sitting there trying to look innocent. Harry nodded at him, and inclined his head toward the train.

Ginny, meanwhile, had already run off to find Blaise. Harry spotted her, talking calmly to the older boy and trying not to blush. Shaking his head, he climbed onto the train and into the first empty compartment, Sirius close on his heels. He was shortly joined by Draco. "Is that...?"

Sirius responded by transforming, at which Draco gaped. "Weren't you dead?"

Sirius turned to Harry, who grinned. "He got better. So, how'd it go with Pansy?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Please, can we not talk about her? I just ate." Harry's chuckle was cut short as the door opened and Neville climbed into the compartment. He nodded to the other occupants, and sat down.

"Hullo, Sirius. I didn't know you were back- how've you been?"

"Dead, mostly. It's really boring, being dead. First it's all wavy, then everything goes black, and then you're stuck with a bunch of people, most of whom are bored senseless. And there's not much to do other than watch the living. I spent four hours one day watching Professor Lupin marking essays. Four whole hours! And they were the most entertaining hours that week! I mean, if death's an eternity of that that, I'm never planning on dying again."

Harry was just about to comment on that when the door opened again. This time it was Ginny, with Blaise behind her.

"Room for two more?"

"Hmm, I don't know... I think we might just exclude you, Ginny, dearest." Harry grinned at the girl, who made an obscene gesture. "Now, that wasn't nice! Maybe you should go sit by yourself-" Sirius grabbed his godson and put him in a headlock.

Ginny pushed her way in, treading firmly on Harry's foot. Blaise followed, shooting furtive glances at the strange man wrestling with Harry. "Ok, Blaise, this is Sirius. Don't worry, he's harmless. Mostly, anyways. Sirius, this is Blaise. Before you try anything, remember that Fred and George still have those pictures-"

"Wait, what pictures?" Sirius looked up, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, yeah, you never saw those, did you? Well, anyways, play nice." She sat back, leaning against her boyfriend. "So, Draco, how'd the thing with Pansy go?" Draco scowled.

"Oh, great. She fell in love with the guy. Unfortunately, he has this sister..." He glared at Harry, who was laughing. "It's not funny! She's got all the personality of a blast-ended skrewt!" Harry started howling. "So glad you can find humor in my misery, Harry."

"I'm sorry, but it's just- the look on your face! You look like you just swallowed a slug, or something." Draco threw a piece of parchment at the Gryffindor.

"Prat. So, anyways, You been watching the Prophet?" Harry shook his head.

"Nah, I won't pay for a subscription to a paper that likes to drag my name through the mud." He eyed Draco meaningfully.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I was a tosser, et cetera, et cetera. I've just noticed that everyone's favorite reporter has been oddly silent lately."

Harry smirked. "Probably doing a bit of research? Anyways, I'm sure we'll all know when her next big expos comes out, won't we? We'll just follow the sound of the howlers to the head table."

Blaise looked confused. "Why do I get the feeling I don't have the whole story here?" Harry just shook his head.

"Trust me, hon. You'll see soon enough. She's not going to sit on something as big as this for too long."

Neville got up. "I've had my share of cloak and dagger for one day. I'll see you all at dinner, then?" He nodded and left the compartment, most likely in search for Luna. Sirius yawned.

"I think I'm going to see what Moony's up to. I'll drop by in a bit. Harry, you keep an eye on these two-" He eyed Ginny and Blaise, "-I'm sure Molly's not quite ready for grandsprogs quite yet." Ginny pretended to be scandalized, while Blaise just looked at his shoes. Harry laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, you big git. No one wants you here anyways." Sirius pouted as he just about fell into the corridor, turning into his dog form part way. Harry leaned over and shut the door. "Don't worry about him, Blaise. He's just taking the piss." Blaise looked sheepish.

"Yeah? Well, it's not every day that a dead guy eyes you up. Forgive me for being nervous." Harry grinned.

"Yeah, sure. Hey, who's up for exploding snap?"

-----

They were just setting up for a second game when the door to the compartment opened again, and Dean peeked his head in.

"Can we come in? The happy couple are at it again." Harry nodded, and Dean and Seamus piled in.

"Thanks. Ron's being worse than usual today. I mean, what crawled up his arse and died?"

Harry shook his head. "He's been like this since Christmas- One of his brothers brought his boyfriend home for the holidays."

Seamus and Dean both snorted. "Oh, Merlin, that's just beautiful. Which one?" Ginny shook her head.

"I'd tell you, but _someone_ told me that it was better if I minded my own business." Seamus rolled his eyes and turned to Harry.

"So, Harry... wait a tick, what's that on your neck?" Seamus' face broke into a wide grin. "It looks like you had a fine Christmas! Well, come on, spill!" Harry turned red and tried to adjust the collar of his shirt to hide the offending mark. Ginny looked at him, eyebrow raised. Draco smirked.

"You didn't... You did!" She looked at the yellowing bruise, critically. "New Year's?" Harry looked down. "So, is that why no one saw you until dinner?"

Seamus was getting frustrated at the exchange. "So, who is it?"

Harry looked up. "Um, well, I've kind of been seeing someone."

Dean snorted. "Well, obviously, Harry. You don't look like the type to just hop into bed with just anyone. So, who?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "See, Harry? All of this was so much easier when I'd just blurt things out, wasn't it?" Harry groaned and hid his face in his hands.

"Fine, you win. Bitch." Ginny laughed.

"Harry's been dating that clerk from Honeydukes since... September, was it? Yeah, well, Harry managed to get together with him- he was staying nearby- and we headed over there for New Years." Ginny grinned. "So, how's it feel to be a man?" Harry made a series of obscene gestures, the gist of which seemed to be "go fist yourself".

Seamus was stunned. "Holy hell, Harry, you've been going out with this bloke for since September?"

Unfortunately for everyone, just then, the door to the compartment opened again. Even worse, the person who had opened the compartment was none other than Ron, who, by the look on his face, had heard everything. "Holy hell, not you too! I swear, I'm surrounded by poofs!" Harry stood up.

"Ron, grow up. You're being a prat. I mean, boo-fucking-hoo, I like blokes- no one else seems to give a fuck, other than you and Hermione."

"Look, Harry, I don't know what you're on about, but it's gross! I mean, the arse is for things to go out, not in! And besides, Dumbledore said-"

"I don't give a flying fuck what Dumbledore said. I want to know why you've turned into such a self-righteous plonker!" Ron was turning a bright shade of red.

"You think I've changed? You're the one spending time with bloody Slytherins!" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Ron, in case you haven't noticed, most of our year is on good terms with those same "bloody Slytherins." You two are the only ones with a problem. Do us a favor and grow the fuck up, alright?" Harry pushed Ron back into the corridor and shut the compartment door. Ron looked like he was about to open the door and keep yelling, but then he stopped, took a deep breath, and stormed off. There was a long pause.

Ginny finally broke the silence. "Well, Harry, how long do you figure until this ends up in the Prophet?" Harry shook his head.

"I don't think Rita will touch it- I have too much dirt on her right now, and I'm sure I can find something bigger for her to follow. Maybe I should owl her to make sure, though? Make my offer before someone else does?" He leaned back. "I'm more worried about how long it will take until this spreads to the rest of Hogwarts- I guess this blows the betting pool out of the water, anyways." He sighed, and then stood up, forcing a smile. "Well, I'm going to go get changed. Maybe I'll find Snuffles, or something. I'll see you all later." Without waiting for a response, Harry stalked out of the compartment.

------

Harry was sitting in front of the fire in the otherwise empty Gryffindor common room. Amazingly, no one mentioned anything to him at dinner, although he noticed that one of the Hufflepuff seventh years had been looking at him in a rather frightening fashion. In fact, everything had gone smoothly until he had returned to the common room, where he had been confronted by a very angry Hermione.

"How could you?" Harry looked at her, confused.

"How could I what?"

"You know! Ron told me all about what he heard! What's wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me. Seriously, what's your problem?"

"Harry, I hate to break it to you, but being gay is just wrong!"

"Why?"

"It- it- it just is! It's a sin!" Harry laughed.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione? Seriously, you used to be so logical and rational- what happened to you?"

"Nothing's happened to me! Look, Harry, the bible says-"

"Isn't that the same bible that says "Suffer not a witch to live."? Or am I just imaging your hypocrisy?"

"But that's different! Being magical isn't a choice!"

"Neither is who you're attracted to, Hermione. Look, let me know when you stop making excuses. Until then, I'll be spending time with the people who really care about me."

"But, Harry-"

"No, Hermione. No buts. You're using religion as an excuse to hate people. That's just bullshit, and I doubt I'm the only person here who'd appreciate it if you'd knock it the fuck off."

"Damn straight!" one of the fifth-year boys called out. Hermione glared at Harry, before turning and storming off to the dorms.

Now Harry was sitting alone, staring at the fire. He still couldn't believe his friends had turned on him, using such weak excuses at that! There was something more going on here, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. With a sigh, Harry got up and went to bed. Maybe it would make more sense in the morning.

------

The next day, as Harry was heading down for breakfast, Professor McGonagall stopped him.

"Mister Potter, the headmaster would like to speak with you for a minute. The password is "chocoballs". I believe that Mister Black will be there as well." Pursing her lips, the head of Gryffindor house spun on her heel, and started toward the Great Hall. Harry sighed, said a quick goodbye to Ginny, who was walking with him, and went.

Arriving at the Headmaster's office, he was surprised to find the gargoyle had already moved aside. He climbed up the stairs, and stepped into the office. Sirius was indeed already there, petting Fawkes. Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen. Harry wandered around, looking at the many objects on the shelves. He stopped when he came across the sorting hat. He smiled, and, giving a quick glance to Sirius, popped it on his head.

"_Well, Mister Potter. It's been a while since we chatted, hasn't it? To what do I owe this pleasure?_"

"_Actually, I'm not sure. I guess I'm just wondering how you've been._" The hat snorted.

"_Yes, I'm sure you were. So, it seems you've found out some of the Old Coot's dirty little secrets._" Harry's eyes went wide. "_No, I'm not going to tell him. As a matter of fact, I'd rather help you. Albus has been plotting, he has, and most of it concerns you and Tom. Here, it will be easier to just show you._" Suddenly, Harry felt his mind being flooded with images. "_You can sort through them later- I think he's coming. Now, smile, and pretend you haven't been plotting his downfall for the last few months._" Harry chuckled at that, and took off the hat. Sirius gave him a questioning look.

"Later." Harry promised. Before Sirius could ask anything, Albus stepped into the office.

"Well, my boys, it looks as though you had an interesting vacation. Sirius, how have you been?"

"Dead. It's not as exciting as it sounds." Albus smiled.

"So I hear. I take it you are aware that Pettigrew has been captured?" Sirius nodded. "Ah, yes, I'm sure you would, at that. Now, I'm curious, how did this come about?"

Harry shrugged. "I found a book in the library at Grimmauld Place. Re- erm, Professor Lupin managed to convince Professor Snape to help, and Mr. Weasley talked to one of the Unspeakables, who got us in."

"I see. And this book? What happened to it?"

"Well, I had a copy made and sent it to the Department of Mysteries- Croaker asked me to- and the original is sitting back at the house. Why, sir? Do you want a copy, too?" Albus shook his head.

"No, Harry, I don't think that will be necessary. I was just curious. So, Sirius, how do you like this freedom of yours?" Sirius shrugged.

"I haven't gotten much of a chance to experience it yet. I was planning on dropping by the The Three Broomsticks later, maybe see if Madam Rosmerta is still as cute as she was last time I saw her." Albus nodded.

"Alright, Sirius. I expect you have a busy day ahead of you, and I would hate to keep you. I needed to talk to Harry about a few other things, anyways." Sirius nodded and walked out. "Harry, how have you been these past few days?"

Harry shrugged. "Fine, I guess." Albus nodded.

"And how have things been between you and Mister Weasley and Miss Granger?"

"They've been better." Harry admitted, suspicious. "We haven't been speaking much."

"I see. Harry, don't you think it's about time you took them back? I'm sure they've been missing you."

"Actually, sir, I'm not so sure they have. The only time they've talked to me lately is to insult me. Or to insult someone else. Either way, I'd rather not spend any more time with them than necessary." Albus sighed.

"Harry, Miss Granger came to me last night. She's worried about you- your behaviour, your new associations, your ahem predilections-" Harry saw red.

"-are none of her business. She's already come and told me off. Really, I have more to worry about than whether or not I meet Hermione and Ron's approval. Now, if that's everything, I have to go to class." Harry got up, and stormed out of the office, ignoring the Headmaster's response. _Bloody Hell, doesn't that just figure?_ Harry shook his head as he walked towards Defense. _And wasn't one of Ron's excuses something about the Old Coot? It fucking figures. He hasn't fucked up my life enough, he has to get other people to help him._

------

Harry was the first person to arrive at the classroom, which was still locked up. He sighed and slumped against the wall, glowering, and began dreaming up increasingly violent ways to get revenge on the headmaster. He had just gotten up to number 12 (which involved Buckbeak and a ferret-sized Dumbledore), when Remus arrived, Daily Prophet under his arm.

"Hey, I noticed you weren't at Breakfast." Harry glared at him.

"No, I was busy getting lectured by Dumbledore- apparently, Hermione came to him with concerns about my behaviour, friends, and "predilections". I wasn't very hungry after that." The werewolf laughed, opening the door.

"I don't doubt it. Maybe this will make you feel better." He handed Harry the newspaper, which Harry frowned at.

_**Dumbledore- Heroic or Horrific?**_

_We all know Albus Dumbledore as an icon to the light- the defeater of Grindelwald, the headmaster of Hogwarts, and all in all, a good- if slightly insane- man. However, this reporter recently came across some information which casts serious doubt on the character of Dumbledore, as well as the origins of You-Know-Who..._

The article went on for three pages, outlining the experiments in detail, and including the photograph of Westhover and Zephyrwilde, with Tom's face censored to protect his privacy. All in all, Harry was pleased.

"So, any howlers arrive yet?" Remus shook his head. "Not that I saw. Then again, Dumbledore wasn't at breakfast either. And best of all, she- along with everyone else in the country- is going to be too busy with the follow-ups to care about who the Boy-Who-Lived may or may not be seeing." Harry sighed in relief. He had been worried about that, despite what he had said to Ginny and Draco.

By now, students were starting to file into the room, most of them gossiping about the article. Only Ron and Hermione were silent, although neither of them would meet the eyes of any of the other students. Draco and Blaise walked up to Harry, Crabbe and Goyle in tow. "Took her long enough, don't you think?" Harry snorted.

"Oh, come on. It was a pretty thick file, you know. I didn't even find the last of it until the week before Christmas! Most of it was dry as dust, too- made Binns seem interesting. You got off light, Draco, all you had to do was write the note and mail it." Blaise's eyes went wide.

"This is what you were talking about on the train?" Harry nodded. "Wicked..." Draco snorted.

"You have no idea. Now, come on, we'll talk about this later." He nodded at Harry, who went to sit down beside Neville.

------

When Harry arrived in the common room that night, the article was still the main topic of discussion. Ron and Hermione had taken to defending Dumbledore, stating that the documents mentioned must have been made up. The discovery of copies of those documents by a third year Ravenclaw quickly assured that no one would take their side, however. Harry could have laughed. Everything was going perfectly! Now, it was time for Dumbles to make his move.

------

Alright! Next Chapter: The aftermath! More Rita! Restlessness! And Dys may just smash zir laptop if it doesn't stop trying to eat zir stories!


	10. 10: Plans

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

:Parseltongue:

------

The next morning, Harry was in a much better mood. At breakfast, the first of the howlers had arrived for Dumbledore. A number of students had received letters from their parents telling them that they were going to be transfered to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang. At lunch, there was another round of red envelopes waiting fro the Headmaster. By dinner, the man wasn't even able to leave his office without being swarmed.

Harry, for his part, had received a request for an interview with Rita for a follow up entitled "Reactions from the Light", which was set to run on Sunday. He had declined the interview, but had sent a written statement, voicing his disbelief and stating that he was still planning on fighting for the good of all mankind, et cetera. Draco had nearly pissed himself laughing when he read it.

"You really think they're going to buy that?"

"Why wouldn't they? I mean, I'm The Boy Who Wouldn't Die- I don't need to be realistic. Hell, the public at large would rather I act like Gilderoy fucking Lockhart instead of Harry Potter. Enough of that." Draco rolled his eyes. "So, other than getting stuck with another girl, how was your Christmas?"

Draco was quiet for a minute. When he finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. "We went to visit my father." Harry looked down.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry-" Draco was shaking his head.

"No, no, it's alright. Now that the Dementors have left, it's not so bad- or so he says. That's not the problem. He's still set on the same path, you know? He was telling me that I should "continue reaching for the future I've been pursuing". Of course, you know what that means. You'd think he have learned his lesson, but no..." He laughed hoarsely. "Whatever. There's not much doing, is there?" Harry swallowed and nodded. A thought hit him out of nowhere.

"Hey Draco, what exactly do you tell people when they ask why you've stopped fighting with me, anyways?" Draco snorted.

"I just tell them I found a strategic advantage. Nobody knows what I mean, and everyone's afraid to ask. " The boys both snickered.

------

Three days later, and the howlers had finally started to let up. Around fifty students had left, mostly first through third years, with the majority of the students coming from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Only three students from Slytherin had left- all neutral- and only one Gryffindor had been pulled, a first year who had been transfered to Beauxbatons.

Harry had finally gotten a chance to sit down and search through the memories the Sorting hat had presented him with. Apparently, Dumbledore had spent the last months in South America, searching for a ritual which could be used to steal the magic of any person. It required the target to cast a spell which requires large amounts of power and will, at which point the caster would recite the spell and drain the target, leaving them as a squib. From the memory, it was obvious that he planned on casting it on Harry as he killed Voldemort, or vice versa. Fuming, he made his way to Lupin's office.

------

"Professor, where can I get a pensieve?" Remus looked up, frowning.

"I think you can get them by owl order. But why?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

"The old coot has another scheme." He quickly described the memories which the sorting hat had shared with him. The werewolf sat there, stunned.

"...So, just in case something happens, I need a pensieve." Harry finished. Remus nodded.

"I'll ask Severus if he knows where you can get one. Until then, be careful. If Dumbledore thinks you know, he won't think twice about _obliviating_ you. In fact, you should probably tell Severus as well- the more people who know, the safer, and Dumbledore hasn't been able to break through his Occlumency shields yet. Do you have class this afternoon?"

Harry nodded. "Care of Magical Creatures. Why?"

"We need to talk- all of us. Listen, you tell Ginny, Neville and Draco to meet me here after class. I'll talk to Professor McGonagall- she surely won't have any objection to the four of you spending the night at your godfather's house, especially if Professor Snape and I are also there. I'll see you this afternoon." Harry nodded, and got up. "Oh, and Harry? I hear Hagrid's found something new and exciting. You may want to warn your classmates." Harry managed a grin as he left.

------

Hagrid had indeed brought something new and exciting to show them. Hagrid had managed to procure a young runespoor which had managed to keep all three of its heads intact. Hagrid had set the young serpent in a large crate with mesh over the top. Sitting beside the crate was a box, from which slight scratching noises could be heard.

"An' yeh see, here, this one's still a baby. Jus' hatched two days ago. Cute, innit?" Harry heard several people snort in disbelief, including Draco. "Hey, Harry, come over here an' help me, will ya? " Harry walked over, unsure of what Hagrid wanted him to do. Hagrid leaned over to the boy, speaking softly. "Alrigh', can yeh talk to 'er? Maybe tell 'er what's going on, so she stays calm?" Harry nodded. "Alrigh', everyone, move back, I'm goin' ter take the mesh off now and give 'er some food. You ready, Harry?" Harry nodded again, and turned to the crate.

:Hello, little one.: The runespoor turned all three of her heads to face Harry.

:Hello, speaker. What is happening? We were so warm and cozy before, and now it's cold in here.:

:It's alright, I'll tell Hagrid to put a heating charm on your box- a spell to make the box nice and warm for you. Tell me, would you like some food?:

:Yes, speaker, we would.:

:Good. The big man will lift up the wire and give you food. Please don't bite him.: Harry looked up.

"The crate could use a heating charm, Hagrid." Hagrid nodded.

"Alrigh' Harry, Thanks fer tellin' me. They ready?" Harry nodded, and in one swift motion Hagrid had lifted the mesh and dumped the contents of the box- 3 small rodents- into the crate. The runespoor swiftly caught the mice, one in each mouth, and after finishing it's meal, curled up, content.

"Well, I think that's all fer today- I'll see yeh all nex' week. Harry, can yeh stay fer a minute, introduce me to 'er proper so she won' bite me?"

The class left, everyone but Neville and Draco rushing for the school. Harry turned back to the crate.

:So, what is your name, little one?:

:Speranza: Hissed the middle head.

:Satya: Responded the rightmost head.

:Zahina: Answered the leftmost head.

:It is nice to meet you. I am Harry. The big man is named Hagrid. He will take care of you, but he is not a speaker. I ask that you do not bite him, as he is my friend. Will you do that for me?:

:Yes, speaker.: the heads hissed in unison.

:Thank you. Hagrid is going to take you somewhere warm now.: He looked up.

"Alright, Hagrid. I told her not to bite you, and that you were going to care for her. I'll be at Sirius' tonight, so if there are any problems, floo me and I'll be right here."

"Righ', Harry, I'll see yeh when you get back, then."

As Harry walked back to the school, Neville and Draco were quick to follow him.

"Wow, Harry, I keep forgetting you can do that!" Neville breathed. Draco had to agree.

"So, you have any other party tricks for us?" Harry laughed.

"Nah, none that I can talk about in polite company, anyways." He wiggled his eyebrows, a trick he had learned from Sirius. Draco punched him in the shoulder. "So, how do you blokes feel about a party at Sirius'? Just the group? Remus is taking care of McGonagall." The two boys nodded, understanding that something major must have come up for Harry to feel the need to leave Hogwarts.

"Yeah, sounds like fun. You talk to Gin yet?" Harry shook his head.

"Haven't seen her." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, Draco, how much do you trust Blaise?"

Draco paused, thinking. "Well, he is a Slytherin," Harry chuckled, "but he's also fairly dependable. You thinking of getting him involved?"

"Well, he did help at Halloween, and he knows about the Prophet. I mean, if we're going to use him, it's only fair that we let him know how and why. Plus, he's discreet, and he has a good excuse. I'll mention it to Remus, see what he thinks."

"Sounds good. Meet you in Lupin's office?" Harry nodded. "Great, I'll meet you in twenty. I'll tell Blaise not to make any plans tonight." Nodding to the Gryffindors, he made his way to the dungeons.

"Alright. Nev, how are you set for tonight? I'm not buggering up anything, am I?" Neville shrugged.

"Nah. Luna reckons that a flabbering banderboyle is following her, and she's been too busy trying to discourage it to even notice me. Or, at least that's her excuse." Harry raised an eyebrow. "She gets like this for about a week every month- I figure it's her polite way of telling me to fuck off." Harry rolled his eyes and snorted. Neville and Luna had the oddest relationship- but then again, who was he to talk? He was sleeping with a dark lord. Humming, Harry excused himself and went off to find Ginny.

------

"Alright, Blaise. This cannot go beyond this group. If you don't feel that you can keep this a secret, we will obliviate you." The five teens were sitting around Sirius' kitchen table, along with Tom, Snape and Lupin. Sirius was hunting through the cupboards for some food that didn't contain the word "instant" on the label. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Blaise swallowed hard and nodded, squeezing Ginny's hand. Harry gave him a quick rundown of the recent events, until the printing of the article. The Slytherin's eyes went wide when Harry told him who Tom was, and only Ginny's firm grip kept him from getting up and running as far away as he possibly could. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Harry finished.

"...So, now that that's out of the way, who here could use a drink?" Remus and Severus both gave him warning looks. "I'm not talking about getting drunk, I just think it might keep Blaise from keeling over." He looked over at Sirius, who had finished searching and was contemplating just taking the lot of them out for dinner. "Hey, Sirius, where do you keep your spirits?" The animagus gestured to a cupboard, which Harry rummaged through before pulling out an almost full bottle of rum. Remus got up and took out a glass for each person. After pouring out drinks for everyone, Harry sat back down. "So, you have any questions, Blaise?"

Blaise thought for a moment, then looked up confused. "You mean to tell me that the Dark Lord has spent the last few months being bossed around by third years?" The other students laughed. It looked like this was going to be interesting.

------

After the group had settled back down, Harry had quickly explained what the sorting hat had shown him. Severus looked shocked, and had immediately agreed that Harry needed a pensieve, just in case. Ten minutes later, he had helped the boy write out a letter requesting one, with the necessary information to charge the expenses to the Black family vaults. After this, they got down to business.

"So, we know that the public at large is pissed off at him, but what about the ministry? They've been really quiet." Severus smiled.

"There's a rumor going around that Dumbledore is going to be forced to step down from the Wizengamot. Of course, it's not official- it's "pending further investigation"- but it seems likely that it will be announced on Sunday. Of course, the old man is going to be forced to make an official response sometime soon. How do we plan on acting?"

"I'm not sure yet. I think I can manage to incapacitate him for a day or so after his statement is released, though. Say, Sirius, did my mum tell you how allergic he is to shellfish?" The animagus made a see-sawing motion with his hand. "Alright, well, an allergic attack should buy us a few hours, anyways. Hm, what else... Oh, I know! Maybe we should see if we can get a few more students pulled. I'm sure Rita would love to know about some of our previous Defense instructors- especially Quirrell and Crouch. Who knows, maybe we can even get him up on child endangerment charges or something like that. Maybe bring up the basilisk from before, too." The rest of the group nodded thoughtfully. Then Ginny spoke up.

"Harry, I know you don't really like to spread it around, but maybe if the rest of the world saw where Dumbledore had sent the Boy-Who-Lived, it might help. Hell, all we'd need is for Rita to show up and ask your Aunt and Uncle for an interview-" Harry cut her off.

"No. I don't need the rest of the world to know- well, it's none of their business. It was shitty, but I'm not planning on living there any longer than necessary. I wonder... Tom, you used my blood to get your body back. Do you think that blood wards would be effective?" Tom frowned.

"I don't know. Maybe... I'll check it out next weekend. Maybe I'll bring a few people, make it look like a raid. You mind if I torture the muggles?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Hey- I thought you were good now."

"Hey, I'm good! That's why I said "torture", and not "brutally slaughter". Besides, they deserve it." His upper lip curled into a sneer. Ginny saw this, and decided to change the subject.

"Alright. So, do you think you could arrange for Rita to accidentally overhear us reminiscing, or whatever we're using as an excuse?" Everyone looked at Draco.

"Oh, definitely. I'm sure we can work with that- let's say, tomorrow at 3 in the room of requirement? I'm sure she'll rearrange her schedule for this. In fact, I'll write out the note now- the post office is still open, I'll mail it tonight." Sirius looked over at Harry.

"Harry, you should mail out your letter, too. We may as well just stop at the Three Broomsticks for dinner, while we're at it." Satisfied, Sirius leaned against the counter, ignoring Remus' muttered "lazy git."

------

"Hey." Draco stepped into the room of requirement, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey, Draco. Something wrong?" Harry smirked from one of the two couches in the room.

"Oh, it's Pansy. She's fighting with good old what's-his-face, so she's hanging over me, trying to make him jealous Stupid bint doesn't seem to realize that it only works if he knows about it..." He flopped down next to Blaise. Ginny turned back to Neville.

"Really, I don't care what you say. Nobody was worse than Lockhart. I mean, the wanker was planning on telling everyone that I died down there!" Neville snorted.

"No, Ginny, you never met Quirrell. Not only did he have V-Voldemort in the back of his bloody head, but he stuttered so badly that you couldn't make out anything he said. Even Crouch was better, and that bastard tortured my parents. Where exactly did Dumbledore find these people, anyways?"

Harry leaned over. "I have no idea. You know, though, that except for third year, I had to face the evil git every year. Dumbledore didn't even step in until the ministry. Speaking of which, did you see that lovely tribute statue they put in the Atrium to replace the one that got smashed?" Ginny nodded.

"He finally gets off his arse and protects his students, and he gets a statue. You defeated a fucking basilisk at the age of twelve- one which had been petrifying students left, right, and center- and you get an obsessive house elf and a handshake. How the hell did he not know that there was a basilisk in the school, anyways? I mean, a second year swot figured it out before him! But then again, he also managed to miss the git who had a Dark Lord growing out of his skull. Merlin, it's a wonder we've made it this long!" Neville smiled.

"Well, at least Lupin knows what he's talking about. I've learned more from that man in the two years he's taught than I did from any of the other teachers. Except maybe Crouch, but then again, learning how to cast unforgivables is hardly a useful skill for most people, is it?" The rest of the group, including Draco, nodded.

The group continued sitting and talking about nothing in particular for the next twenty minutes or so, before Draco excused himself. He made his way out to the lake, where he paused for a moment and appeared to be talking to himself. A few seconds later, a small beetle dropped out of his cloak, transforming into Rita Skeeter.

"Alright, then. I assume you've got enough to run with for a while?" Rita nodded.

"More than enough. Although I must admit, that set up seemed a little... contrived. Are you sure that they didn't know I was there?"

Draco laughed hollowly. "As far as you're concerned, they had no idea. I can assure you that everything they said in there regarding certain teachers is true." Rita nodded, seeming satisfied. "Now, I'm sure you can figure out how to spread those out, right? I'm sure you can find anonymous students willing to let you interview them to add depth..." The two shared a grin.

"I might just take you up on that offer. There's a Hogsmeade trip in a week, is there not? I'll be in the Three Broomsticks, should anyone happen to feel the need to let something slip." She frowned. "You know, Draco, you have a beautiful owl. How long did that research take, anyways?" Draco laughed.

"Rita, honey, you know me better than that. All I did was send some mail." Draco smiled at the woman, and turned away, heading back to the warmth of the castle.

------

_**Dumbledore Removed From Wizengamot!**_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has been removed from his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, after several documents came to light showing that Dumbledore allowed researchers several students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as part of a highly controversial experiment dealing with multiple personalities, which have already have disastrous effects. This statement comes as no surprise to this reporter, who has to ask about the safety of the current students..._

_------_

_**Dumbledore Claims Ignorance!**_

_Albus Dumbledore released this statement today, claiming his innocence:_

_"I was wholly unaware of the extent of the experiments. I was lead to believe that Westhover and Zephyrwilde were only observing the lives of several students, most of whom had already been labeled "high risk", meaning that they had a high possibility of displaying mental disorders. Were I to know the true extent, I would have never allowed students under my care to participate, and I wholeheartedly apologize for the harm my actions have caused."_

Harry could have laughed as he read that day's copy of the Daily Prophet. Looking across the great hall, he managed to catch Draco's eye over at the Slytherin table. Draco raised an eyebrow, and Harry nodded. He expected to see the first expose on previous Hogwarts Defense professors tomorrow morning. Getting up, Harry headed to Lupin's office. Knocking, he didn't wait before opening the door. Remus looked up from his desk.

"Well?"

"He's made his move. He's claiming ignorance, like we thought. Rita's series will probably start tomorrow. Meanwhile... Kreacher?"

The house elf popped into the office, looking decidedly sulky.

"Kreacher, could you make sure that Dumbledore's lunch has some form of shellfish in it? Discreetly, of course, no one can know- especially the other elves. As much as you can without him catching on- it wouldn't be any good if all he got was a rash, now would it?" The house elf looked positively gleeful at the thought of this.

"Yes Master! Kreacher is doing that for you!" Harry smiled.

"Great. Oh, and don't tell anyone we had this conversation. If you are caught, pretend you didn't know that he was allergic." The house elf nodded. "Thank you- you can go back to the kitchen now, but remember, discretion!" The house elf nodded again and popped out of sight. He looked at the werewolf. "So, now to wait. So, how long until the Board of Governors gives him the boot?" Remus thought for a minute.

"You know, without Malfoy on the board, he might last a while. At least until too many students are pulled out. I think he has at least a month and a half, depending on how rough these next few articles are. By the way, you didn't mention-?" Harry shook his head.

"Nope. We made sure to mention that you were the best teacher we'd had, the only worthwhile one, and that we were- and still are- extremely grateful to have you. You know, only the truth. Hey, that wouldn't happen to be my essay you're marking, would it?" The werewolf chuckled and playfully swatted his cub.

"Get on with you- I know you're boyfriend's supposed to be working today, go bug him." Harry tried to pout, but couldn't help but grin. Yes, everything was working out just fine.

------

Tom was scowling at his young lover, who was bouncing around the cellar. "If you don't sit down soon, I'm going to nail you to the crate." Harry rolled his eyes, but sat down.

"So, how was the meeting last night?" Tom had called the Death Eaters last night and gotten reports. Tom sighed.

"They're getting restless. I think I need to find something bigger for them. Otherwise, they might think I'm going soft, or something." Harry looked pensive for a moment.

"How about Azkaban? That should satisfy them, and make everyone nervous. Especially if they break everyone out. Hell, even if it fails, all that means is that there's less of them to mess with."

Tom nodded. "Yeah, I think that would work. Should we wait, or do you think the sooner the better?"

"Well, Rita's going to be printing her articles over the next few days, so you might want to wait until they're out- you know, spread out the bad news a little." Harry smirked. "Actually, I was thinking about how we're going to end this charade. Do you know- can you put the kissed under _imperio_?"

"I don't see why not, but I've never tried. Most people wouldn't bother- it's obvious that, if, say, Wormtail was to walk up to the counter at the Hog's Head, he wouldn't be doing it of his own volition. Why?"

"Well, someone needs to die, don't they?" Tom chuckled.

"I see. I'll get them to bring back Wormtail and Bellatrix if they can, then, and maybe Crouch, too. I'll start working on how this is going to work for next weekend, then. Maybe I'll use it as a diversion while I check the wards around the Dursleys, as well- that way, I can cause chaos and send a message to the Boy-Who-Lived. By this time next week, I think we can guarantee that the wizarding world will be in a bit of turmoil. So, now that we've gotten that taken care of..." Tom bent down to kiss Harry fiercely. _Oh, yes, life is good_, Harry thought, before he lost all coherency.

------

Well, here's chapter 10! It's a little shorter than the last few, but it's here! Um, there really isn't that much to say. I think Harry was sneaking some sort of caffinated beverage during the last bit- he ended up really bouncy and ramble-y for some reason. I ended cutting part of it because he just kept talking and not really going anywhere. Much like I am right now.

Next Chapter- Azkaban! Confrontations! Fucking with Wormtail- he's such a fun target :) And maybe a peak of allergic!Dumbles, just for shits and giggles.


	11. 11: Confrontations

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

As always, I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

------

Dumbledore did not come out for dinner that day, nor for breakfast the next morning. One of the first year Slytherins, who had been in the infirmary after a potions mishap, gleefully reported that the Headmaster's face had swollen to resemble a misshapen and rather hairy pumpkin. Fortunately for him, by missing breakfast, he also managed to miss the first wave of howlers directed at him- Rita's next series, which had been supplemented by a number of anonymous owls, had started.

_**Dumbledore- A Danger To Our Children?**_

_**Part I- The Death Eater Teacher**_

_Albus Dumbledore. Respected Educator. Hero. Icon. At least, that's how most people would have viewed him, until certain documents were unearthed at the beginning of the year, implicating him in facilitating a study which resulted in severe mental disorders in several students. Dumbledore has since claimed ignorance as to the outcome of this experiment. But how innocent is he? I decided to take a closer look at the conditions that the current students have been exposed to._

_Two years ago, Dumbledore hired Ex-Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts- undoubtedly a most important subject in these troublesome times. However, Moody never taught these students. Instead, Bartimus Crouch, Jr, a convicted Death Eater, using Polyjuice Potion and Moody's hair, took his place... _

The article continued, detailing the events of that year, including Crouch's use of the Imperius curse on students, his keeping of Mad-Eye in his seven-compartment trunk, and his role in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Voldemort's resurrection, and Cedric's death. Even the ferret incident was mentioned, much to Draco's dismay.

The next day was even worse, as Dumbledore was swarmed with howlers each time he tried to leave his office. He had taken to wearing ear-plugs whenever he was forced to leave, to avoid losing his hearing.

_**Dumbledore- A Danger To Our Children?**_

_**Part II- Gilderoy Lockhart, the Amazing Fraud.**_

_Until 1993, Gilderoy Lockhart was the darling of Britain- a handsome hero. Most were pleased when Lockhart was hired to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for the 1992-1993 school year at Hogwarts. This same year, students began being petrified by an unknown assailant, later discovered to be a basilisk. Fortunately, no one was killed, as none of them actually looked into the eyes of the beast. One must question, though, how a sixty foot serpent managed to run amok in the school without being discovered by the Headmaster..._

By Wednesday, the Headmaster had had all of his mail rerouted into a room to be sorted through- and if need be, destroyed- before he would even look at it. This was the day that Rita printed the final- and most damning- of the articles.

_**Dumbledore- A Danger To Our Children?**_

_**Part III- You-Know-Who**_

_Dumbledore has already been seen to have what may be described as a blatant disregard for the welfare of the students in his care. However, the worst is still to come. In the 1991-1992 school year, Dumbledore hired Quirinus Quirrell to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Unbeknownst to anyone, however, was that Quirrell himself was playing host to one of the Darkest people in existence- You-Know-Who himself..._

By the time Thursday rolled around, Hogwarts had lost another twenty students. More were expecting to leave that weekend, and Dumbledore had been removed from his position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Even Ron and Hermione had given up attempting to defend his actions, instead avoiding any mention of him whatsoever. Most of the students had received notes from their parents telling them that, if they should ever feel unsafe, they would be withdrawn immediately. There was still no word from the board of governors, but Harry wouldn't be surprised if they decided to remove Dumbledore by Monday. There were even rumors that Dumbledore was working with Voldemort, something which drove Harry nearly to hysterics when he first heard it. The stage was set to throw the wizarding world into complete chaos.

------

"Now, it is time to release my loyal ones from Azkaban! Everyone, save Severus, Alecto, and Amycus, will go. Your goal is to release _all_ of those imprisoned, not just your incarcerated brethren. I expect you to return with all of those whom are marked. This includes Wormtail, Bellatrix, and Crouch." Tom glared at the Death Eaters standing around him. A glamour had altered his appearance, making him leaner, paler, and returning his red eyes. "Now, go! I will see you before morning." There was a murmured "Yes, lord" and everyone save Severus, Alecto, and Amycus disappeared. He turned to these three. "You will be helping me with a little project. I have been informed that the blood wards surrounding Potter's muggle family may no longer be effective against me. If this is true, I wish your assistance in capturing them. They are not to be harmed- yet. If the wards do not permit me to enter, Severus will try. If he cannot, you will all return here."

"Yes, My lord." answered the three, Severus trying not to roll his eyes at Tom's act. Tom was still forced to play the role of the Dark Lord- Thus the glamours and the hooded cloak hiding his features as much as possible- and his overacting was the subject of much joking in private between the two.

Nodding toward the three, Tom cast a quick disillusionment charm on himself and Apparated to Number 4, Privet Drive.

------

Dudley Dursley was pissed. He had had a date with a girl who was a sure thing, and the bloody bint had gone and come down with the bloody flu! So, instead of getting laid right now, he was sitting in his room with a bottle of gin, getting drunk while his parents slept.

He was just wondering why they named Gloria- the girl- had been wearing perfume if she was planning on spending the night in bed, like she said she was, when he heard a loud bang. Stumbling out of his room, he was shocked to find four people in black robes standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey, who are you, and why you here?" he slurred, swaying a little. The tallest figure, who seemed to be the only one not wearing a mask, raised his wand, and Dudley almost wet himself. Then the man cast a spell, and Dudley knew no more.

Tom looked down at the stupefied boy and sighed. "Alright. You two, watch him. Severus, Come and help me deal with the others." Without waiting for a response, Tom started up the stairs. Reaching the elder Dursley's bedroom, he turned to his friend. "So, Sev, I'm not allowed to torture them, but do you think Harry would mind if I were to accidentally drop his uncle down the stairs.. maybe a few times?" The Potions Master cocked an eyebrow at the Dark Lord, who sighed. "Alright, fine. I was just asking." He opened the door, quickly stupefied the two sleeping people, and levitated them out, only smacking Vernon against the walls two or three times. Moving the three onto the lawn, he walked through the house, casting a few destructive charms here and there. He almost passed Harry's room by, deciding that there wasn't enough in there to destroy, but realized that Lord Voldemort would most certainly not leave the room alone. He sighed and cast a few smashing hexes at the walls, leaving gaping holes- he'd let people think what they would when they saw how little was in the room. Finally, he brought the staircase down, and walked outside, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"Each of you, take a muggle. I'll deal with them when we get back. Ready? Good. MORSMORDRE!" He called, Conjuring the dark mark. One final look around, and he Disapparated away from Privet Drive.

------

Harry was sitting in the Headmaster's office, waiting and trying to look like he had no idea why he was there. Finally, the headmaster spoke.

"Harry, I'm afraid your Aunt and Uncle were attacked last night. They are currently missing- but it is doubtful that they survived." Harry attempted to look shocked. "I'm sorry, my boy. it seems that the blood wards weren't enough to keep Voldemort at bay. Severus informed me that he saw them last night- alive, but they were moved since."

"But the Order- they'll keep looking, right?"

"We'll try, but... There was a raid on Azkaban, as well. Everyone was released, regardless of their allegiance. We have to think of the wizarding world." Dumbledore sighed. "It's the next step to weaken us, Harry- first, he attacked me, and now he's attacking you."

_Alright_, Harry thought, _it's time to take this to the next level._

"But... You said they'd be safe. That the wards would keep out Voldemort." Tears began welling up in his eyes. "They- they're the only- only link to my mum.." He trailed off, starting to sniff. _OK, Harry, be careful not to over do it, wait until he starts... there it is._

"I'm sorry Harry, I couldn't have known-" Harry stood up, interrupting him.

"YOU SAID THEY WERE SAFE! YOU SAID I WAS SAFE THERE! YOU - You- Oh God..." Harry froze, stunned. "The wards wouldn't protect me, either- they could have- Oh, God." He stumbled to the door.

"Harry, I-"

"I think- I think I need to- I need to talk to- I-" The headmaster nodded.

"I understand, Harry. I'll get Professor Lupin to come and get you. Is that alright?" Harry nodded, swallowing hard. He allowed himself to be lead back to his chair, and sat there, looking straight ahead of him until Remus arrived. The werewolf lead the young Gryffindor out of the headmasters office and to his own. Once they reached the office, Remus turned to Harry.

"Do you want to see Siri? Do you think you can floo?" Harry nodded. Remus pulled out a jar of floo powder, and Harry stepped into the fireplace, calling out "Sirius' House!" and disappearing in a blast of flame.

------

As soon as Harry stepped out of the fireplace in his godfather's living room, he started laughing so hard he nearly fell down. Remus appeared a few seconds later, smirking.

"So, he bought it?" Harry nodded, still shaking with laughter. Steadying himself, he made his way over to the couch.

"Every word. I was afraid I overdid it for a moment, but he just thinks that I'm traumatized. When's Tom getting here?"

"As soon as the Prophet arrives at work- he's not supposed to know, after all, until everyone else does." There was a tap at the window. "Oh, speak of the devil..." Sirius opened the window, and pulled out a knut for the delivery owl. "Ah, Harry, you didn't make the main headline, sorry, but you got featured on the front page. How long do you figure until you start getting owls?" Harry thought for a moment.

"I'll give it an hour." There was a knock on the door.

Sirius looked up from the paper. "It's open!" The door opened, and Tom stepped in.

"So, how'd it go?" Harry grinned.

"Perfectly. The old coot acted just like we expected to. He even tried to use it to excuse the articles- by the way, Remus, you owe me a sickle- saying something about how you're attacking me just like you attacked him. It was actually kind of touching." Tom laughed and flopped down beside his boyfriend, giving him a quick kiss.

"So, how long until they expect you back?" Harry shrugged.

"Oh, they'll probably fire-call or something. I think I'm good for tonight, though. Why?" Tom smirked.

"No reason. Just curious." Harry wanted to push him further, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea at the moment. They sat there for a moment before Sirius stood up and stretched.

"Well, since there's nothing else to do but wait, I think I'll head back to bed." He started toward his room. Stopping, he raised an eyebrow at the werewolf, who quickly scrambled up, muttering something about needing to talk to his friend. Harry smirked at him as he disappeared into the room.

"So, how are you holding up?" Tom yawned and shrugged.

"I was up yelling at Death Eaters until 2 or so, so a bit tired, but fine. I'm bloody well going to end up throttling one of them soon, though. I'll be happy when this is over." Harry nodded, wrapping his arms around the older man, who shifted so that he was lying on the couch, using Harry as a pillow. He yawned again.

"You know, if you want to sleep, there's a perfectly good bed down the hall..." Tom shook his head.

"Means moving. Can't. Comfy." Harry sighed and pulled his boyfriend up.

"Come on, you big baby. What if the old coot were to come calling?" Tom sat up, instantly wide awake.

"Fine." He grumbled, stalking off to the room Harry had claimed as his own when Sirius had rented the house. "But I still get my Harry-pillow."

Harry rolled his eyes, following. Getting to the room, he pulled off his sweater and jeans, leaving him clad only in a tee-shirt and boxers, and flopped down on the bed next to Tom. The older man immediately wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him close, nuzzling into his neck. Harry smiled and pulled the blankets over them. Securely ensconced within the bed, the two lovers fell asleep.

------

The wizarding world was in a panic. In the twelve hours since the Daily Prophet had been sent out, 16 escaped convicts had been seen- none of them Death Eaters. Dumbledore was momentarily forgotten, much to his relief, as the ministry began tracking down the escapees in earnest.

Classes that week went on for what seemed like an eternity. No one was able to concentrate, even the teachers seemed distant, as though they were simply trying to fill the hours until more news came. The world as a whole was waiting for the war to start in earnest.

For Harry, the hours dragged on, but for different reasons. He felt like he should be planning his next move already, but there was nothing to plan for. After all these weeks of strategizing, it felt odd to wait. He hated the helpless feeling that it left him with, and spent hours planning out the details of the final battle- anything to gain some control over the situation. By the time Friday rolled around, he was a nervous wreck.

Near the end of lunch on Friday, Draco approached him, asking if they could talk somewhere private.

"I got a letter from Father." Harry nodded, so Draco continued. "He wants me to get marked as soon as possible. He's dead set on it." Harry furrowed his brows.

"But you're only 16, and still here at Hogwarts- doesn't he see how dangerous that would be?" Draco snorted.

"Apparently not. You forget who we're talking about. He's still just as egotistic as he was before, and maybe even more so now that he's seen the advances the Dark Lord has made." Harry sighed.

"I'll talk to Tom about it. Maybe get him to use that "strategic position" mumbo-jumbo you keep telling people, I'm sure your father would appreciate that. What's your mum saying about it?"

"Mum doesn't want me to get marked, but she's not going to go against father on it." He sighed. "And I'm not the only one getting pressured. Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott have all received similar letters. And I'm pretty sure Pansy's going to get one soon, too." Harry looked pensive.

"Alright. I'll tell Tom later on today. I'm sure he can come up with a good reason not to mark anyone here, regardless of their age." Draco smiled.

"Thanks, Harry."

"For what? Helping my friends? Besides, we need you- who else can sweet talk Rita Skeeter into printing exactly what we want and when we want?" Draco smirked.

"Alright, I get it, you'd be lost without me. Prat." Harry threw his arm around his friend's shoulder.

"Now you understand. Now, come on, class starts-" Harry cast a quick tempus, "- about five minutes ago. Shit!" The two boys quickly grabbed their bags and ran out to Hagrid's hut, where the half-giant was talking about the many advantages of keeping reptiles as pets.

------

"Are you alright, Harry?" Harry nodded, not sure if he was really alright or not. He was standing at the top of the stairs to the cellar of Riddle House, getting ready to confront the Dursleys. Tom reached out and took the younger man's hand. "Alright, love, it's time." Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped forward

By the time he had reached the bottom step, Harry felt like he was about to throw up. He swayed slightly, and Tom grabbed his shoulder. "You don't have to do this, you know." Harry just shook his head and stepped forward.

The cellar was divided into two rooms, with a shelf-lined wall in between. The first room, which was at the base of the stairs, had two chairs, presumably for any guards who may be on duty. The second had been turned into a rudimentary dungeon. Tom squeezed Harry's hand, cast a strong _lumos_, and stepped into the second room.

There were no bars in this room- instead, the Dursleys were attached to the wall via a chain around their ankles. They were covered in dirt and filth, but otherwise unharmed, as per Tom's orders. As soon as they saw the Dark Lord, they began shouting.

"Let us go, you freak!"

"When I get lose, I'm going to-"

"Why, you-"

"SILENCE!" The three grew quiet. "Do you know who I am?" Three heads shook, almost in unison. Tom let out a sigh. "Petunia Dursley, you don't recognize me? No? No idea? Well, that's a pity. Your sister likely would have figured it out by now- but then again, I didn't look like this when I killed her." Petunia went white.

"You- you-" Tom sneered.

"Yes, me, me. Of course, I've changed some since then. Not just my appearance- I've also changed my goals slightly. Found a new direction, you could say. Taken it upon myself to rectify certain injustices. You and your pathetic family seems like as good a place to start as any. _Crucio_!" Tom was startled to hear a voice behind him.

"Tom! Stop it! Please?" He turned around to find Harry standing in the doorway, cowering slightly. Vernon sputtered.

"You! You ungrateful little freak! You pathetic little brat, we took you in and this-"

"-Is nothing more than you deserve. Now, if you will excuse me for a moment..." Tom stalked out of the room. Harry was leaning against the wall, shaking.

"Tom, please, don't hurt them. I don't want you to hurt them." Tom sighed and wrapped his arms around his young lover.

"Harry, they made your life a living hell!" Harry looked up at Tom, eyes ablaze.

"It's fine! I'm alright!" He hissed.

"No it fucking well isn't fine! I'm tired of listening to you tell me that you're alright when you quite obviously aren't."

"Please, Tom, don't hurt them. I don't want to see people get hurt anymore." Harry's eyes were watering now, and there was a definite quiver in his voice.

"Fine." Tom stalked back out into the make-shift prison. He paced for a minute, before turning to the three Dursleys and speaking.

"You know something? You have one hell of a nephew. You made his life hell for... how many years, now? And he's still doing his damnedest to protect your ungrateful arses. You don't fucking deserve him." Petunia and Vernon both started to protest, but Tom cut them off.

"You know, it's funny. When I tried to kill Harry as an infant, the curse I hit him with backfired. It created a link, if you will, between our minds. It's quite useful. For example, last year, he saw things through my eyes and managed to save the life of his friend's father. Afterwards, I managed to lure him into a battle, which cost him his godfather- or would have, save for his rather special luck. And over the summer, it let me see exactly how much he was appreciated at your home. Vernon Dursley, do you remember how you spent the night of July 31st?" Vernon went pale, but didn't reply. "No? Pity. Well, I do. You see, I was curled up in front of the fire with a good book, when suddenly, I was pulled away into the mind of your nephew, who was currently curled up on the floor as you kicked him. Did you know your husband liked to play so rough, Petunia? Well, it gets better. Once you decided you had enough of that, you picked up your nephew and threw him on his bed and pulled off those rags you clothed him in. Did you feel powerful, then, Vernon? Like you were something other than a fat sack of shit? How about when you raped him? Did it make you feel better about your own pathetic life? Well?" Dudley and Petunia were both staring at Vernon, slack-jawed.

"I take it neither of you knew about his... activities?" They both shook their heads furiously. "I thought not. I had trouble thinking that the sister of Lily Potter would condone such actions, even if they were aimed toward a boy she viewed as a waste of skin. Think about this, and think about the fact that he _still_ won't let me hurt any of you- including the worthless piece of slime that he calls an uncle. Now, with that thought, I leave you. Pleasant dreams."

------

Tom led a tearful Harry back upstairs, cursing the Dursleys under his breath. He sat Harry down in the kitchen, and leaned against the table.

"Harry, do you want a cup of tea, or anything..?" Tom trailed off. Harry shook his head. Tom sighed, and sat down beside him. "Are you alright?" Harry nodded.

"Liar. Come on, Harry, tell me what's wrong." Harry took a deep breath, but didn't say anything. "Harry..."

"It's just- it hurts, Tom. They still make me feel like some little weak, pathetic freak, and I still want to defend them. It's stupid, I know-" Tom cut him off.

"No, Harry, it's not stupid. You need to defend people who are weaker than you. Even if they do deserve it. Now come on, I've got something else to show you." He grabbed his boyfriend's hand, and led him upstairs and into a bedroom. "Alright, sit down. I'll be right back." Harry rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. Tom was obviously enthusiastic about this next surprise.

"Alright, Harry, may I present... Wormtail!" Wormtail ambled into the room.

"So, it worked, then?" Tom nodded, a wide grin across his face.

"It works beautifully. He has no will whatsoever- not that he ever really had any, but still..." Tom set Wormtail to do a series of athletic maneuvers around the room. "So, now that we have that worked out, I say we need a little bit of privacy." Harry smirked as Wormtail walked out of the room, assumably to wherever Tom had decided to keep the kissed Death Eaters.

"I hate to break it to you, but don't you have some loyal followers to yell at?" Tom frowned.

"Damn. Will you be alright in here if I ward the door so that no one can enter?" Harry nodded.

"I'll be fine. Now go, before I change my mind." Tom grinned wolfishly at the younger man, who had a decidedly mischievous smirk. Leaning over, he drew the boy into a deep kiss before walking out of the room, a smile still on his lips. Sighing, he warded the door, placed his glamours and changed his robes, and went to call his followers.

------

"Lucius, I have heard that you have been pressuring your son to take my mark. Is this true?"

"Yes, My Lord." The blond looked at the dark Lord, confused.

"Did you ever stop to think that, perhaps, there is a reason for him to remain unmarked? Especially considering that he is currently under the care of Albus Dumbledore?"

"No, My Lord, I am sorry." Tom smirked.

"No, Lucius, you aren't. Yet. _Crucio_!" Tom held the elder Malfoy under the Cruciatus curse for a good minute before letting up.

"All Hogwarts students must remain unmarked! They are, for the most part, far more useful where they are. Your son is in a strategic position which has taken him months to gain- the Boy-Who-Lived now considers him a friend, and on occasion, a confidante. His position must not be compromised- nor must that of any other Hogwarts student." He paused and looked around.

"It should be noted that the entire media campaign against Dumbledore was spearheaded by students. Now, why would I risk losing that advantage? Now, I will not hear of any more attempts to convince students to take to mark before they leave Hogwarts- or, for that matter, any attempts to convince students to quit school early." That last bit was aimed at Crabbe and Goyle, who immediately stiffened. Now, get out of my sight! Not you, Severus, I wish to speak to you." There was a murmur of "Yes My Lord"s, and everyone except Severus rushed to Disapparate. Finally, Severus and Tom were left alone.

"Sev, I think I'm going to go mad- again- if I have to deal with that bunch much longer." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Is the old coot up to anything new? Harry hasn't seen much of him this week."

Severus rolled his eyes. "The barmy old codger is always up to something, Tom, you know that. Lately, though, he's been meeting up with the Weasley boy- Ron- and Granger quite often. I managed to overhear a small bit of their conversation- it seems Dumbledore has convinced them that Harry is in danger of turning into the next dark lord." Tom nodded, unsurprised.

"Well, that figures. Alright, then, I think I'm going to need Polyjuice potion soon. Can you get started on some?" Severus nodded. "Great. Now, come on, I'm sure Harry's bored out of his skull waiting for someone to let him out of the room." Severus looked up at his friend, surprised.

"Yeah, he's here. He had a bit of a confrontation with his family, and I wanted to show him Wormtail. I warded the room so that no one could get in, just in case, you know, so he's stuck there." Tom started walking up the stairs.

------

Harry, meanwhile, was indeed getting bored. He had decided that, since they were going to be alone in the house- Tom certainly wouldn't undo the wards while any of his Death Eaters were around!- they might as well take advantage of it. So, when Tom and Severus opened the door, they were surprised to find a very naked Harry sprawled on the bed- although not as surprised as Harry himself, who, upon realizing that Tom wasn't alone, dove behind the bed, dragging the blanket with him.

There was a short silence, before Tom spoke. "You alright there, Harry?"

Harry lifted his hand above the mattress and made an obscene gesture, but otherwise remained hidden behind the bed.

Severus was suddenly caught up in the ridiculousness of the situation. "Well, now, I guess we're even." Tom looked at his friend, curious. "Remember why Harry first wrote to you?" Tom frowned, then slowly started chuckling. Harry repeated the gesture, which just brought forth more laughter. Finally, the boy stood up, blanket wrapped tightly around him. He glared at the two men laughing at him. Tom stopped laughing, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry. Erm, Sev? Maybe we should go for a minute..." The Potions Master nodded, not trusting himself to talk quite yet, and stepped away from the door.

Tom stepped out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind him, and leaned against the wall. Finally, Severus spoke. "Wow."

Tom nodded. "Yeah." The two men stood in silence. Finally, the door opened, and Harry stepped out, fully clothed this time.

"So, what's going on now?" Harry asked curtly.

"Well, I was hoping to discuss the plans for the final battle." Tom started toward the living room, gesturing for the other two to follow. "Now that we have our body, it's time to start planning out the actual details." Harry nodded, sitting down on a moldering chair.

"Alright. I was thinking..." Harry quickly outlined his plans. Tom nodded.

"That sounds do-able. What about my wand? They're going to want it, after all." Harry shook his head.

"Not if it's destroyed. If this works right, there won't be anything left other than ashes. Besides, there's going to be an audience, there's not going to be any doubt. Can you get Wormtail to cast Unforgivables?" Tom nodded.

"I tried it out already. So, when?" Harry looked at Severus.

"The Polyjuice won't be ready until next month. We have plenty of time for the details. Until then, I'm going to be training you for the combat. I'll talk to the old coot- by the time I'm done, he'll be sure it was his idea." Harry nodded.

"Perfect. So, if that's everything..." Harry trailed off. Severus smirked at the teen.

"Oh, I think we're done for tonight. Harry, you may want to be at your godfather's before noon tomorrow. I will see you then. Goodnight." He bowed his head slightly to Tom, and Disapparated.

Harry stood up and stretched a little. Tom stepped over to the teen and wrapped his arms around him, kissing his nose. "You know, I'm still pissed at you for laughing at me."

Tom smiled. "Well, would you let me make it up to you?" Harry smirked at the older man.

"I think that can be arranged." Tom leaned forward to capture the boy's lips. "But first, food." Tom growled.

"Fine then." He picked up the smaller man and slung him over his shoulder, making Harry laugh. He set the teen down in a chair and started rummaging around a cupboard. "Well, it looks like your options are pasta, or ...erm... some kind of instant noodle thing." Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're worse than Sirius. Let me do that." He got up and pushed Tom out of the way, hunting through the cupboards. "Alright, how does spaghetti sound? Great, now put on a pot of water. Ugh." He looked at the jar of sauce. "Why do you buy this shit?" Tom rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's not like I eat here much, anyways. I think that was Wormtail's stuff- he never did have much taste."

"Well, whatever. Here, pass me a saucepan. Perfect- now, where do you keep your spices?" Tom watched, amused, as Harry buzzed around the kitchen.

"You really take food seriously, don't you?" Harry nodded.

"I had to cook for those people for years- Obviously, I did a good job, right?" He laughed weakly. "Grab some plates? Thanks. Annnd.. We've got Spaghetti Marinara!" Harry dished out the spaghetti and sauce onto two plates, and set them down on the table. "Now, eat."

Tom snorted. "Yes sir!" he joked as he dug in.

------

My muse has gone on vacation . Either that, or Nyquil played a bigger part in the formation of this story than I even want to consider O.o

Anyways, only a couple of chapters left! I'm just working out the picky details in my notes.

Next chapter: Lose ends, Dursley abuse, More Wormtail abuse, and the deal with Ron and Hermione.

Oh, and not that it will affect the story in any other way, but who thinks I should whip up a nice OMC for Sev, because after all, he needs love too?


	12. 12: Destruction

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

:Parseltongue:

------

:Master? Who is this human?:

:Shh, Nagini, you'll wake him.:

:Too late, Tom.: Harry yawned and sat up. :Hullo, Nagini:

The snake looked at her master, shocked. :He speaks!:

Tom nodded. :Yes, he does. Nagini, this is Harry. Harry, Nagini.:

:Harry? As in, Harry Potter? The boy you always complained about?: Harry snickered, and Tom glared at the serpent.

:Yes, Nagini, Harry Potter. Obviously, things have changed:

:Obviously. Hello, Harry. Master, you have not been near lately. Where did you go? I missed you.:

:To Hogsmeade, my dear. To be near Harry. You wouldn't have liked it- you would have had to stay hidden.:

:I understand. Still, I wish you would visit more often.:

:I'll be able to soon, I promise.:

:You better.: Tom snorted at the snake's tone.

:I will! Now, go away and let us sleep, you pest.:

:I love you too, Master.: The snake hissed with no little sarcasm as she slithered away.

Tom yawned. "Sorry about that, love. I haven't been around much lately."

Harry shook his head. "No, that's alright." Suddenly, a thought struck him. "As a matter of fact, she just gave me an idea." The sat in silence for a minute.

"Well? Are you going to tell me, or what?"

"Just a second, Tom, I'm just trying to figure out the details." Harry frowned. "Alright. So, if you're locked away in battle with me, we need someone to keep casualties down outside, and, quite possibly, take out Death Eaters before they can any real damage, right? And Nagini's a smart creature. So, if she were to see the tide of the war changing against Lord Voldemort, would she stand by his side, or would she switch to save her own skin, and help The-Boy-Who-Lived? Especially if she found out that he was a Parselmouth..." Tom's eyes went wide.

"You know, I think that will work. I'll talk to her about it later." Tom pulled Harry back down. "Now, though, I need sleep."

"Aw, did I wear you out last night?" Harry teased. Tom grunted.

"Not all of us are able to function on-" He cast a quick tempus, "- four hours of sleep a night." Harry snorted, but snuggled up in the older man's arms, and was soon dozing comfortably. Tom sighed. "Brat" He muttered, kissing the boy's forehead, before nuzzling into his neck and falling back to sleep.

------

Harry was sitting in the Hogwarts library with most of the sixth year Gryffindors, as well as Ginny, Luna, Draco and Blaise.

"Hey, Harry, we need to talk to you."

Harry turned around, groaning. Ron and Hermione were standing behind him, wearing unreadable expressions.

He turned back to his friends, sighing. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He got up and slowly followed his ex-friends, who lead him to an empty classroom.

"Look, Harry, we've been worried about you-" Hermione started. Harry cut her off.

"If this is another one of your rants about my choice in friends or my orientation, I'm leaving now." Hermione quickly shook her head.

"No, Harry. We just want to talk. I know we over reacted, but-" Harry snorted. "-We really want to try again."

While Hermione was talking, Ron had pulled three bottles of butterbeer out of his bag. He opened one, handed the second to his girlfriend, and offered the third to Harry, who took it warily. He opened it, and took a cautious sip.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Harry sat down, leaning back.

"We just wanted to see how you were doing. So, who are you dating?"

"T-The new Honeydukes clerk." Harry barely managed to avoid blurting out Tom Riddle. His eyes went wide.

"You- you fucking arseholes! You put fucking veritaserum in my drink!"

------

Draco and Ginny exchanged glances. They didn't like this turn of events, and they most certainly didn't trust those two.

"I think I'm going to go talk to Professor Snape about this essay of his." Ginny got up. Draco and Blaise both followed her.

Once they were out of the library, Ginny turned to Draco. "You get Snape. We'll find Harry." Draco nodded and took off for the dungeons. Ginny sighed. "Where's the nearest empty classroom?"

"I think it's down this hallway." Blaise started, with Ginny on his heels. "Yeah, here it is." They stopped in front of a closed door.

"It's locked- and warded?" They exchanged looks. "I think we've found them."

------

Hermione sighed.

"We had to, Harry. We have to know what's going on. We really are worried, Harry. Dumbledore said-"

"Fuck Dumbledore! Dumbledore said that Voldemort couldn't cross the blood wards, either, but he did!"

"Harry, everyone makes mistakes. We're trying to keep you from making a big one. Why are you and Draco friends?"

"We started getting along after making the truce." Hermione nodded.

"And why did he make the truce?"

"He was afraid- he knew that I wasn't going to lose." Harry ground out.

"I see. What do you plan on doing after you win?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking of just leaving, finding a tropical island away from everyone." Harry was slightly more relaxed now, having gained a bit more control.

"And how are you so sure you'll win?" _Oh, shit._

"I have a plan."

"What is your plan?" _Oh, Double shit._

"Practice. With Snape." _That was close_.

"What are you practicing?"

"Dueling. Stronger curses. Anything that will help." _Please, don't get any more specific!_

Hermione thought this over for a moment, and started nodding. It was time to change the direction of the questions.

"Harry, do you trust Dumbledore?" _Fuck! I need to derail this!_

"Not anymore." _Shit!_

"Why not?"

"He's been too dishonest with me. He knew the prophecy, and that Voldemort was after it, but didn't tell me anything. He's almost gotten all of us killed on multiple occasions. He said that the Dursleys were safe- that I was safe."

"Did you give that information to Rita Skeeter?"

"No." _Not technically, anyways._

"Harry, are you going Dark?"

------

"Professor! He's in here!"

"Alright. Move out of the way, I need to disassemble the wards."

------

"Well? Answer the question!"

"I don't think so."

"Have you been considering siding with Voldemort?"

"No." _Not Voldemort, and not considering any more. Come on, please, let that be enough!_

"Alright, one more question. Harry have you-" Hermione was interrupted as the door opened.

"Potter, there is a reason why I asked you to come to my office at this time. Weasley, Granger, I would appreciate it if, next time you wished to barricade Potter in an empty classroom and interrogate him, you did it at a time when he wasn't expected in my office. 20 points from Gryffindor. Mister Potter, if you will?" Harry scrambled up, relieved.

Snape started toward his office, followed by Harry. Ginny, Draco and Blaise had already left, making a detour to the library to get Neville.

Finally, the six of them were settled in Snape's office. "Alright, Harry. What was that about?"

"They said they wanted to talk. They offered me a butterbeer- they all took one, so I thought it was safe. It had veritaserum in it. They didn't find out much, but they know I don't trust Dumbledore. They know that I'm dating Tom, but not who he is. And they know I'm going to be training with you. I didn't let anything else slip." The Potions Master pursed his lips.

"I see. I'll inform Tom- it would be best if he took the week off sick. As for the rest, it doesn't seem to be anything more than the headmaster expected anyways. I expect they were planning on altering your memory afterwards, so I'd make sure to deposit it in your pensieve before doing anything else- and be careful, and for heaven's sake, do not go anywhere alone. I mean it- don't even use the lavatory alone." Harry nodded.

"Now, tell me-what else did they ask?" Harry quickly went over the entire experience. Severus nodded as he spoke. "Alright. All of you need to be careful. This time, Harry was lucky- most of the questions were worded in ways that left him room. Next time, though, you may not be so lucky. Do not eat anything that those two have been near. Don't let yourself be caught alone. And, most important, do not let on that you know. From now on, be careful about talking. Don't seek out me or Lupin outside of class without a good excuse. Longbottom, avoid me- you're supposed to be afraid of me, for Salazar's sake, and you most certainly aren't supposed to want to speak to me." Satisfied, Severus nodded at the students.

"Alright, get out now. I have things to do thanks to those nosy little-" He stopped himself. "Well? What are you waiting for- an engraved invitation?" The students quickly scrambled out of the room. Severus sighed. Damn the headmaster and his bloody minions. Well, only a month left before they could get rid of them. He only hoped they could last that long.

------

"Sir, We questioned Potter like you asked."

"Thank you, Hermione. What did the two of you find out?"

"He doesn't trust you any more, but we already expected that. Other than that, thought, there isn't much to be worried about. But, there was a problem, sir."

"Yes?"

"Professor Snape interrupted us and pulled Potter away before we could obliviate him." The headmaster swore.

"Alright, then. I'll talk to Professor Snape and explain the... circumstances to him. Now, what else happened?"

Hermione and Ron explained how he had answered the questions. Dumbledore nodded, eyes twinkling.

"Alright, then. You are good friends, despite what he may think right now. I'm sure that once he figures that out, you will get everything you deserve. Now, run along while I speak to Professor Snape."

------

Sirius was furious when he found out what Harry had been subjected to.

"Those little brats! I'll strangle them!" He paced across the kitchen. "Little traitors. I'll-"

"Siri, enough! Harry's fine now, and we'll take care of everything. The memory's safe in his pensieve. Better yet, he's safe. Severus talked to the old coot, and told him that he obliviated Harry. It's only another month, anyways."

Sirius stopped pacing. "Why would they betray him like that, anyways? They were his best friends for years!" Remus shrugged.

"Dumbledore can be convincing. He played on their fears and desires- said that Harry could become the next dark lord, and that if they prevented that, they'd be heroes. He promised prestige to Ron and an interesting research subject to Hermione." Sirius scowled.

"Bloody traitors. I swear, if they lay one hand on Harry-"

"-You'll be the first in line to throttle them. I know. Now, come on. You won't help Harry by sitting here fuming, we need to deal with the logistics of getting fifty or so Death Eaters into Hogwarts while avoiding students."

Sirius took a deep breath and started. "The shrieking shack. We can fit a good twenty people into the tunnel. Plus, once they're out, they won't know how to get back- and if we need to, we can toss up a ward."

Remus looked at his boyfriend, amazed. "How do you always do that?"

The animagus laughed. "I'm just that good, babe."

------

"Again!" Snape screamed at Harry. Harry took a deep breath, and threw a _stupefy_ at the Potions Master silently. Severus tossed up a shield, blocking the spell.

"Much better. Remember, there is no way you can defeat Lord Voldemort if he always knows what to expect. Now, I expect you to practice- next time, I expect more than simple stunners and body binds." Harry nodded.

He had been practicing with Snape for two weeks so far. The man had been teaching him to duel wordlessly, as well as helping his Occlumency- a far easier task when they didn't hate each other. He had also been teaching Harry the evasto curse- the same explosive curse Wormtail had cast years ago when he faked his own death.

Tom had stopped coming to work, claiming that he had come down with a nasty virus. This gave him plenty of time to practice his part in the fight. He was currently preparing his Death Eaters to raid Hogwarts, informing them that, under no circumstances should they hit any student with anything lethal or permanently debilitating- it would be much easier to convince them to join his cause willingly if they didn't see their classmates cut down. Nagini, for her part, was enthusiastic about her role, considering it a great chance to let loose on some of the more irritating of her Master's human servants.

Ron and Hermione, for their part, did their best to stalk Harry, but found themselves getting waylaid more and more often by the Slytherins, most of whom knew only that they were pestering Harry. Harry did his best to pretend that he had no idea what happened that day, but made sure that he was never alone, just in case.

Finally, the Polyjuice potion was finished. Now, all that was left was to pick the day.

------

"Alright. First of all, we need to keep students out of this as much as possible. During class would be best, I think- they could lock themselves in their classrooms." Harry mused. He was sitting at Sirius' kitchen table, along with Draco, Blaise, Neville, and Ginny, as well as Tom, Severus, Remus and Sirius. It was the first of March, and while most of the third-years and up were busy wandering around Hogsmeade, the group was plotting the downfall of Dumbledore- and, of course, Voldemort, although that seemed more like an afterthought to most of them.

Tom was nodding. "I say we do it first thing Monday morning. We'll catch everyone off guard. Ginny, you're going to have to skip whatever class you have, but I'm sure you can work around that. Lupin, if you can arrange an outdoors practical lesson that day that's close by, but not too close... perfect. Alright, we have two days. Severus, tell them what their jobs are."

Severus smiled. "Draco, Blaise, you two are responsible for crowd control. Push the students away from the fighting- get Crabbe and Goyle to help you, and it shouldn't be a problem. Longbottom, Ginevra, you two hex anyone who comes near the students. Tom's ordered the Death Eaters to only use stunners around students, but they may get over excited. Lupin and Black will be helping you- they aren't to get too close to the battle, just in case. I can't fight, as I'm supposed to be the Order's spy, so I'll be helping Madam Pomphrey. I was planning on getting my seventh years to brew healing potions anyways, so I'll get them started on that during that class."

Harry nodded. "The attack will start once I get away from the group. The Death Eaters were ordered not to touch me- I'm Tom's. This is going to be dangerous, so be careful. Ginny, if you have to stun Ron and Hermione to keep them away, do it. You two-" He looked at the Slytherins. "-try to direct students to the stands- it will keep them from getting too close, but they'll have a great show."

Tom snorted. "You'd make a great director, Harry. This production belongs in the West End." Harry smirked, while the rest of the group just looked confused. "I can see it now- "Dumbledore's Death- the musical!" It would be a hit!" Harry was shaking with laughter.

Ginny cut in. "Anyways, not to change the subject here, but I'm changing the subject." Blaise rolled his eyes. "What do we do until the Order shows up?"

Remus smiled. "Has anyone ever told you why the Whomping Willow was originally planted?"

------

"Hey, Ginny, wait up a second!" It was Sunday morning, and Ginny was just leaving breakfast when Harry caught up with her. "Hey, I need to go to Hagrid's hut. Come with?"

"Yeah, no problem. What's going on?" Harry smiled.

"You'll see." Harry started out toward the hut, Ginny following close behind her. When he got to the hut, he knocked loudly. "Hagrid, you there?" The half-giant opened the door.

"Harry! Well, ain't this a nice surprise. An' Ginny! How've yeh been? Well, come in! No sense in freezing yerself ter death." Hagrid stepped out of the way, letting the two students pass.

"Yeh want some tea?" Harry and Ginny both nodded. "So, what brings yeh out my way?"

"Oh, I wanted to introduce Gin to the runespoor." Hagrid nodded.

"Thought so. 'S somewhere 'round here- why don' you call her? She'll come fer yeh, I reckon."

"Yeah, alright." Switching over into parseltongue, Harry started hissing. :Speranza? Satya? Zahina? Where are you, little one?:

:Hello, Harry.: Hissed Satya.

:How can we help you, Speaker?: Hissed Speranza.

:I need your help. Tomorrow, there will be a battle. I need you to protect students and those who fight for our side. Can you help?:

:Certainly. What do you wish us to do?:

:Protect the students. If anyone in a black robe and a white mask tries to hex them, bite them. Try not to kill anyone, though- we'll try to do this without causing any more bloodshed than necessary.:

:Oh, we can certainly help you there, Speaker.: Zahina hissed, a gleam in her eyes.

:Perfect. This is Ginny. She will come and fetch you- when she comes by the hut, follow her. She'll take you to the battle. Stay hidden until the fighting starts, if you can.: He switched back to English. "Ginny, this is Satya, Speranza, and Zahina." Ginny eyed the snake.

"They're- or is it she?- beautiful." Harry quickly translated, earning a hiss of pleasure from Satya, a thoughtful nod from Speranza, and a snort from Zahina. The two students spent a few more minutes chatting with the runespoor, before Harry mentioned that he still had an assignment to finish for Transfiguration, and he wanted to get it out of the way. Saying farewell to Hagrid, the two made their way back to the school.

"Alright, Harry, what was that about?" Harry grinned.

"Those three are going to help you tomorrow. All you have to do is come by here, they'll be waiting for you, and they'll follow you out. Nagini's also going to be around, but she'll be protecting the Order." Ginny nodded.

"So, you ready?" Harry grinned.

"Ginny, dear, I was born ready."

------

"Alright. the Contego charm brings up a much stronger shield than the Protego, however, it is far more draining. It still won't protect against unforgivables, but it will be less likely to shatter. It is not generally used in dueling, but is extremely helpful if you need to shield others- younger siblings, for example. Spells that ricochet off of it can travel much farther than those that hit a Protego, and can rebound on their caster with far more strength, which is why we're practicing it out here, where we can spread apart. Harry, can you help me demonstrate? Your goal is to protect that chest over there." Harry nodded and walked over to the chest, which was a good twenty meters away from the students. "Yes, that's right. On the count of three, I'll throw a stunner."

"One!" There was a sudden flash of movement from near the Whomping Willow- Tom.

"Two!" Draco and Blaise moved into position, ready to push the students toward the quidditch stands and away from the fighting.

"Three! _Stupefy_!" Harry's shout of _Contego_ was drowned out by a much shriller scream from Lavender Brown.

"Death Eaters!"

------

At that cry, the world went to hell. About half a dozen masked Death Eaters had come out of the tunnel under the roots of the Whomping Willow, with Lord Voldemort standing at their head. More were emerging from the tunnel, but they were hindered by the wildly swinging branches of the tree, which was knocking them down even as they piled out. Only half of those which got out of the tunnel were fit to fight, the rest having been thrown by the tree's large branches, and either unconscious or nursing large gashes and broken bones.

Draco and Blaise had started pulling students away from the fight, with the help of Neville. Other students saw what they were doing, and followed, pulling along their friends. Only Ron and Hermione remained standing where they were- at least, until they were hit by stunners from behind the stand. Sighing, Ginny cast a _mobilicorpus_ on her brother and his girlfriend, moving them to the stands.

Lupin was following the students, cursing any Death Eater that came close. Only minutes passed before Professor Dumbledore rushed out to the quidditch pitch, Professor McGonagall on his heels. Aurors were Apparating to the front gates of the school.

And at the center stood Harry and Voldemort.

------

Tom waited for Dumbledore to get close before throwing up a powerful ward surrounding the three of them- no one would be able to pass through it until Voldemort died, or removed it himself. And now, it was time for the final act to begin.

"So, Harry, you're all grown up. It's a pity I have to kill you, you know. You could have been great."

"Yeah, I've seen you're idea of great, Riddle. I think I'd have to pass."

Dumbledore watched the two circle, frowning. There was something off in the way Voldemort was moving.

"Well, that's too bad. I suppose I'll just have to kill you then. _Crucio_!" Harry dodged out of the way, tossing a silent _stupefy_ at Voldemort, which he blocked. He returned with a barrage of silent spells. Harry managed to dodge all but one, a cutting hex which clipped his shoulder, opening a wide gash. He threw an e_xpelliarmus_ at the Dark Lord, throwing himself away from the bright green curse which flew in his direction.

------

"What the hell is he doing? Why isn't he helping Harry?" Dean cried, seeing Dumbledore simply standing there, throwing up a shield when necessary, but otherwise not moving.

------

Dumbledore was watching the duel unfold before him, growing more anxious at each passing second. There was something very wrong with the way Voldemort was fighting. At first, Albus thought he was toying with the boy, but that wasn't quite it. It was almost as if he didn't want to hurt him...

The two were still battling, getting more and more exuberant. Harry was casting silently all the time now, although none of his curses were more advanced than stunners and body binds- it was all for appearances, after all.

Then suddenly- there! Over by the trunk! A flash of skin, a pale blue eye, and Dumbledore knew.

"Harry! That's not Voldemort! He's behind you- invisible! That's a fake!" Harry turned, glaring at the Headmaster, before turning back to the battle.

"Fake? You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Old Man? Fake, like that personality your friends Westhover and Zephyrwilde implanted in Tom? Fake, like your concern for me- oh yeah, you were watching out for me, weren't you? Tell me, was it all part of your master plan when that fat fuck beat me? What about when he raped me? Your fake villain and fake hero- all that bought you real power, eh?"

Harry dodged another curse and returned it to Wormtail- who, with polyjuice and a few glamours, made a very convincing Dark Lord.

"You know something, old man? I'm sick of dealing with fakes. It's time to do something real. How does that sound to you, Tom?" Wormtail nodded, and suddenly turned to cast Avada Kevadra at the Headmaster. The old man, still shocked, didn't move- at least, until he fell to the ground.

------

Everyone, save the two or three Death Eaters still fighting, froze as Dumbledore crumpled to the ground, dead.

"No..." Minerva McGonagall whispered. Still the two men within the wards circled, ignoring the body of the headmaster.

------

"So, Tom, feel like ending this?" Wormtail smirked. "That's what I thought. _Evasto_!" A pulse of blinding light flew from Harry's wand, hitting Wormtail squarely in the chest, and blowing him into a myriad of charred pieces. His wand exploded, with each splinter of wood flaming for a moment, before burning away.

Harry collapsed to the ground in an ungainly heap.

The field was silent. Everyone waited for some sign from their savior. All except one person, anyways.

Tom, who was under Harry's invisibility cloak, pulled down the wards and made his way to Ginny, who was waiting for a sign of a different kind. Tom tapped her on her elbow, and she made her move.

"Harry..?"

------

That one word was all that was needed to start a stampede. "Out of the way! Let us through!" Remus pushed his way through the crowd, Professor McGonagall in tow. "Someone! Go get Madam Pomphrey! Hurry!"

The crowd backed up a few steps as the new Headmistress shouted orders. A few people went to go get the nurse, but most stayed to watch the Boy-Who-Lived.

As Madam Pomphrey approached, Harry opened an eye, sluggishly. The fight may have been staged, but that final curse left him exhausted. "How'd I do?" He mumbled.

"You were fantastic." The boy nodded, and promptly fainted.

------

So, here's the Final Battle! Only one chapter left, and possibly an epilogue.

This is officially the longest thing I have every written- 110 pages at last count, not including Author's notes. My wrists are aching just thinking about it. All of a sudden, I have a new respect for all of those writers out there with epic fics.

So, just a few little notes here:

-The West End is London's equivalent to Broadway. Except that, while it's "**On** Broadway", it seems to be "**In** the West End". I have no idea why this is, but it had me really confused for a bit.

-You know what? I just realized something- Blaise has had a total of five lines in this story. When I started, I thought that he'd play a much bigger role . 

-I made an error when naming the runespoor- can anyone tell me what I did wrong? The first person to answer correctly gets a one-shot written just for them!

-evasto- Devastate, lit. To lay waste

-Contego- Shield

-And, finally, I know some of you will probably think that I let Dumbledore off too lightly, but come on, I mean, he got killed by Wormtail of all people. Wormtail! I find that perfectly suitable for him.

Next chapter- Counting casualties, and speaking ill of the dead. Oh, and probably some citrus, just because.


	13. 13: Conclusions

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'. Which there is in abundance at the end of this chapter- Citrus!

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

:Parseltongue:

------

"...Harry?"

Harry groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. "Siri?" Sirius jumped up from his chair and grabbed the teen, pulling him into a hug.

"You're all right!" Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'd be better if you'd stop squeezing me." The animagus let go of the boy and sat down on the edge of his bed.

"We were worried- you were so drained from that last spell." Harry nodded.

"How long was I out?"

"Two days, now." Harry sat up.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Poppy made them go to bed after Ginny fell asleep the third time." Harry nodded again and started to get out of bed.

"Young man, what do you think you're doing?" Madam Pomphrey rushed over to her patient's bed.

"I, erm-" Harry started to flush under the glare of the nurse.

"Whatever it is can wait a minute. Let me check you over." She cast a few diagnostic spells. "Alright, then. You can go, but be careful, and watch your shoulder- it's still not fully healed yet." Harry nodded and climbed out of bed, trying not to wobble. He quickly tossed his robe on over his hospital pyjamas- he could change once he got back to the dorm. Once he was dressed, he started toward Gryffindor tower, Sirius right behind him.

"So, what else happened? Is everyone alright?" Sirius nodded.

"We're all fine, Harry. That Felix Felicis worked perfectly, and there was enough for me, Moony, Tonks and the Weasleys. Mad-Eye's got a new scar to add to his collection and Hagrid spent most of the battle in a body-bind, but other than that, the only casualty was Dumbledore."

"And the Death Eaters?"

"Two of them were killed- one had his neck broken by the Willow- McNair- and another was bitten by Nagini. The rest of them are in Azkaban- they're waiting for you until they hold the trial."

"So- it's really over now, isn't it?" Sirius smirked.

"Well, the fighting's over. Now, you've got to deal with being the Saviour of the Wizarding World."

Harry groaned. "Please don't tell me...?"

"I'm afraid so. McGonagall's had to refuse to let anyone into the school without your say-so. I'm pretty sure Rita's sent an owl every twenty minutes asking if you're wake and ready to interview." Harry snorted.

"It figures." Harry stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Piffle."

The portrait smiled as she swung out of the way. "Nice to see you up and about, Harry."

Harry nodded at her sand stepped through into the common room. Ginny and Neville were sitting in chairs by the fire. "Harry!" Ginny launched herself at the older boy, who just about fell over.

"Nice to see you too. What did I miss?" Ginny's face fell.

"They're trying to charge Blaise and Draco- they're saying that they were supporting Voldemort. Snape's in trouble too, the ministry's set someone to watch his every move."

"Fuck. It figures. Alright- I'm going to toss on some real clothes, and then I'll have to have a talk with the Headma- erm, Headmistress." Harry darted into the dorm and got dressed.

Walking out, he ran his hand through his hair, muttering. "What's that, Harry?"

"Oh, nothing. Just the mess- you know." Ginny grinned, she knew how often Harry wished his hair would just lie flat. "Alright, come on, let's go find McGonagall."

------

"Mr Potter, I know that you want to help your friends, but you can't do anything until the trial!" McGonagall looked at the boy, exasperated.

"There shouldn't even be a trial! They helped me beat the bastard! They should be getting medals!" Harry was pacing.

"I agree, but there's nothing we can do. It's impossible." Harry shook his head.

"It's also impossible to survive the killing curse. There's got to be something we can do..." Minerva sighed.

"They'll be tried on Friday. You'll have to wait." Harry flopped down into a chair, defeated.

"Bloody hell."

"Indeed, Mr. Potter. In the mean time, I suggest you owl Ms Skeeter so she'll stop sending me interview requests."

Harry's eyes lit up. "That's it! Professor, would the ministry hold people prisoner if the bloody saviour of the wizarding world publicly called them heroes?"

Minerva frowned. "I don't think so- Oh! Right then, owl Ms Skeeter- tell her to be here in an hour, I'll make sure you have some privacy."

Harry grinned. Being famous did have some advantages, after all.

------

"Hello, Harry, how are you feeling?" Rita smiled at the boy from her seat.

"Oh, a little sore and tired, but generally not too bad." His eyes flickered to the poison green quill racing across the parchment, making sure that it was recording exactly what he said, as per their agreement.

"Alright, Harry, so we're all dying to know- how did you do it?"

"Really, I don't know. Lots of practice." He laughed. "Professor Snape spent hours dueling with me, getting me ready for battle. The bloke deserves a medal, really- and he's not the only one."

"Really? Who else?"

"Neville and Ginny, definitely. Blaise Zabini- Ginny's boyfriend- and surprisingly enough, Draco Malfoy. They got the rest of the students out of there, away from the battle."

"Draco Malfoy? Blaise Zabini? Aren't they in Azkaban?" Harry scowled.

"Yeah. The ministry's calling them supporters of Voldemort- all because they're Slytherins, and because of Draco's father. Draco spent part of last term pretending to spy on me, and would feed the Dark Order rubbish. Like, that I was absolutely terrified of serpents after what happened second year- anyone in the sixth year Care of Magical Creatures class could tell you that that was absolute bull-"

"Yes, erm, I see. So, if I understand what you're saying, Draco Malfoy helped you spread misinformation to the Dark Lord's ranks, at high risk to himself?"

"Exactly."

"Alright. So, now that you've defeated the Dark Lord, what are you planning on doing?"

"Finishing school. Then, who knows? Maybe I'll travel or something- I've always wanted to see the rest of the world. Spend time with my friends. Let loose a little- I never really got a chance to before now, you understand." Rita nodded.

"I understand completely. So, for the question every eligible witch in Britain is asking- is there any one special in Harry Potter's life?" Harry started to blush.

"Yes, there is."

"Oh, and who is the lucky girl?" His blush deepened.

"Erm, actually... I'm not sure he'd want me to say right now."

"Oh, alright- Wait a second, he? So, the Savior of the Wizarding World is gay?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm not gay. If I were gay, I'd be attracted solely to men. If I had to say, I'd probably label myself "bisexual". But yes, I am seeing a man."

"Alright then. Now, onto a more serious topic, can I ask how you feel about the Ministry posthumously honouring Albus Dumbledore by publicly declaring him a national hero?" Harry froze.

"Harry?"

"I'd tell you what I think, but I wouldn't wish to be accused of speaking ill of the dead." Rita nodded, and put her quill away.

"Alright. Now, as an anonymous contributor, on the other hand..." Harry described to her the memories he had received from the hat. "...I have them stored in a pensieve, if that would prove useful to you."

"No, I don't think that will be necessary right now. Is there anything else you wish to say on the record?"

"Nah. I do much better when I'm off the record, don't you think?" She smiled.

"I do. Also, you're a much better actor than your friend- Neville?" Harry snickered.

"Draco told me you'd seen through that. Though, it's not like I could have approached you myself, could I?"

"I suppose not. Alright then, Harry, it was a pleasure, and I'm sure you'll be happy to see that your statement about Misters Malfoy, Zabini and Snape will be on the front page tomorrow- and your statements about Dumbledore, on the second." Rita held out her hand, which Harry took, and - much to her surprise- kissed her hand with a flourish, causing her to let out an uncharacteristic giggle.

Harry smirked. "Thank you. Can I escort you to the castle gates?"

Rita smiled. "Let it never be said that you aren't a gentleman. That would be lovely."

Harry held the door open for the reported, winking at the two Gryffindors which had stationed themselves outside of the room. Blaise and Draco were as good as free.

------

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Why Hermione, it's nice to see you too." Harry was sprawled in a chair, dozing.

"Oh, shut up! I know you're responsible for this garbage in here about Dumbledore! You just couldn't let him have any of the credit he deserves, could you? You had to make up this- this- rubbish!" She threw that day's copy of the Daily Prophet at him.

"No, it's all quite true, actually. The sorting hat showed me the memories- Dumbledore had a bad habit of conversing with it when he wanted to work something out." Hermione's eyes went wide.

"You've gone dark, Harry! Just like he said you would! I knew it!"

"No, Hermione, dark would be dragging someone into an empty classroom to interrogate them with veritaserum, and then obliviating them afterwards." By this time, everyone assembled in the common room was watching the fight.

"Wait, but how did you..? Dumbledore said that Snape-" Harry snorted.

"Dumbledore was a manipulative bastard who forgot that other people are capable of independent thinking. If he hadn't died before Voldemort, I'd be nothing more than a squib, and he'd have more power than I really want to think about."

"Dumbledore was a hero! An icon for the light!" Harry stood up.

"Dumbledore was a fraud, who thought nothing of letting his weapon, his hero, his fucking saviour, get-" Harry choked. Taking a deep breath, he started again. "Dumbledore left me with people who thought that taking care of me was sticking me in a cupboard for ten years and treating me like a house elf. People who locked me in a little room over the summer, barred my window, fed me through a fucking cat door, and let me out twice a day to go to the bathroom. For nothing!"

Those gathered in the common room were shocked. Most of them knew that Harry hadn't had an idealistic childhood, but still, they never knew that it was this bad.

Harry continued. "Don't sit there and pretend that the man was light. The man was just as insane and power-hungry as Voldemort- the only difference was that he was discreet about it." Harry shook his head. "I don't have the energy for this." Turning, he made his way to the portrait hole. Looking back over his shoulder, he smiled. "Oh, and Hermione? Thank you. You've as good as admitted that you interrogated me under Dumbledore's orders- I'm sure that the ministry will find that most interesting." With that, he stepped into the hallway, shutting the portrait behind him. Ginny, who had been in her room and had only caught the tail end of the argument, rushed after him

------

Harry paced in front of the room of requirement. I need a place to sit and think, I need-

"Harry!" He looked up, seeing the red haired girl.

"Gin, I'm sorry, but I- I-" He stopped. She nodded.

"Come on, we'll talk inside, alright?" She smiled at him and opened the door that appeared.

The room was small, with two chairs similar to those in the Gryffindor common room, a fireplace, and a small table. Harry immediately curled up in one of the chairs.

"She- I- I almost told the whole- the whole- They almost- they could have-" Ginny took a deep breath.

"Harry, listen to me. It's alright. Take a deep breath. Good, now tell me- what did you almost tell the rest of the common room?"

"About- about the Dursleys. About what they did."

"Harry- whatever they did to you, it isn't your fault. You don't need to be ashamed or embarrassed."

"I was weak, Ginny! Uncle Vernon- he- he- I couldn't make him stop!"

"Harry James Potter, stop it. Your whale of an uncle could physically overwhelm almost anyone. That doesn't make you weak."

"But I should have stopped him!"

"Harry, you shouldn't have had to." They sat in silence for a while.

"You- you know, don't you? What he did?" Ginny nodded.

"I figured it out at New Years. So did Remus and Professor Snape. Harry, you are a good person, no matter what happened to you. Now look at me. Repeat after me: What Vernon Dursley did was not my fault."

"But I-"

"Harry! What Vernon Dursley did was not my fault. Say it."

"What Ver-Vernon Dursley did was- was n-n-not my fault."

"Again."

"Ginny-"

"Harry, you need to get this through your head. Say it again."

"What V-Vernon Dursley did w-was not my fault."

"Again."

"What Vernon Dursley did was not my fault!" Harry screamed. He swallowed hard, and collapsed back into the chair. Ginny was nodding.

"It really wasn't, was it?" Ginny smiled at him.

"No, Harry. It wasn't." She got up and walked over to his chair, sitting on the arm. "You alright?"

Harry started to nod, then stopped. "Not really. But, I think I will be."

------

Tom watched as Harry paced silently.

"So, what do you want to do with your family?" Harry frowned. he hadn't really thought of them.

"Well, I'd say let them go, but they know too much..." Tom grinned at his young boyfriend.

"Now, Harry. What kind of Dark Lord would I be if I didn't know a way to ensure a person remained silent? A simple secrecy charm should suffice, I think, and we could arrange for your aunt and cousin to be found. I'm not sure about your uncle, though. I don't think he's been punished enough." Harry sighed.

"Yeah, I'd say that sounds good. I'm sure a tip can find it's way to the ministry that Death Eaters were known to be seen near a certain abandoned building." Harry sat down on Tom's lap. "And I have some ideas for my uncle..." Harry whispered something in Tom's ear. The older man's eyes went wide, and he started to grin. Yes, that sounded suitable, indeed.

------

"Order! We have convened for the trial of Hermione Jane Granger. Miss Granger has been accused of assault and conspiracy to commit treason. How does the accused plead?" Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, looked down at the girl sitting in front of her.

"Not guilty." A number of members of the Wizengamot nodded.

"Miss Granger, we have several pensieve memories provided by Harry Potter and other students, as well as several memories from the Hogwarts sorting hat, which show that you, under Dumbledore's orders, forcibly interrogated Mr. Potter using veritaserum. Several memories also show that you had some idea that Dumbledore was seeking out power, and at least one show you conversing with him about reshaping the ministry. What do you have to say in your defense?"

Hermione hung her head. "Harry- he started going dark! I was worried- I thought I was doing the right thing."

"I see. Is there anything else you wish to say?" The girl shook her head. "Alright. There will be a short recess while we deliberate. Guard, please escort Miss Granger to the holding area." A man that Harry vaguely remembered from Hogwarts- a seventh year during Harry's first year- took Hermione gently by her arm and lead her away. Harry stood up, wanting to get a breath of air.

"Harry." He turned around to see Mrs. Weasley standing behind him, looking pale and drawn.

"Mrs. Weasley. I'm- I'm sorry." Harry looked down, feeling guilty. Molly clucked her tongue.

"Harry, you have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I should be sorry- I trusted that man." She sighed. "I honestly thought we raised Ron better than this..." Harry closed the distance between him and the Weasley matron, and wrapped his arms around her.

"It's not your fault. Everyone trusted Dumbledore- he made sure of it. And were a wonderful mother. Just look at Ginny! And the twins and Bill and Charlie and Percy- well, Percy's a bit of a prat, but anyways- Ron just made some bad choices. You could have done a lot worse, ma'am." She looked up at the teen.

"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you, it's Molly?" Harry's reply was cut short.

"Order! Please, return to your seats." Fudge turned to the rest of the Wizengamot. "All of those who find Miss Granger guilty of assault?" All of the members raised their hand. "And all those who find Miss Granger guilty of conspiracy to commit treason?" This time, all but two members of the court raised their hand. He turned to look at Hermione, who was again seated in the center of the room.

"Miss Granger, you have been found guilty of both counts. As such, you are summarily expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and sentenced to six months in Azkaban prison. Guard? Please escort Miss Granger to the holding area."

------

Ron received the same sentence as Hermione- expulsion and six months in prison. After the trials, Harry made his way to the Leaky Cauldron, accompanied by Tom, Severus, and Draco. Ginny and Blaise had returned to the Burrow with Molly, and Sirius and Remus were accompanying Luna and Neville back to Hogwarts.

Harry sighed as he stared at his bottle of butterbeer. "I can't believe that it's over." Tom put his arm around his boyfriend.

"I know. It's the end of an era, but at least now you can make a fresh start." Harry smiled and leaned against the older man.

"I guess you're right. So, Professor, now that you no longer have to play double agent, what are you planning on doing?" Snape scowled.

"Staying as far away from you as possible, Potter." Harry pouted as Tom and Draco snorted.

Tom looked at his friend critically. "Come on, Sev, I know you've got something going on. Tell us!" The Potions Master rolled his eyes.

"If you must know, I will spend the summer researching the wolfsbane potion- a joint project with an old friend of mine." Harry smiled at him.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" He ducked as the man swiped at him, giggling. He finished off his bottle of butterbeer, and went back to leaning on Tom. He looked up in time to see Professor McGonagall walk into the pub, talking quietly to a witch he didn't recognize. She excused herself from her conversation, and walked over to the corner table where they were sitting.

"Hello, Severus. Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy." She pursed her lips and looked at Tom. Tom immediately sat up and extended his hand.

"Tom Mollrore, ma'am." She took his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Mollrore." Harry quickly stepped in.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Tom, This is Professor McGonagall- the new headmistress. Professor, this is my, er, boyfriend..." Harry trailed off.

"I see. Mr. Mollrore, you look quite familiar- like someone I knew a long time ago." Tom furrowed his brows. Minerva continued. "Did any of your family members attend Hogwarts?"

Tom looked pensive for a moment. "I don't think so. As far as I know, I'm the only wizard in my family, and I went to school over in the States- my dad's from over there." She nodded.

"It's only that you remind me of a classmate of mine." She looked at Harry meaningfully. Harry understood immediately. "Tom, you wouldn't happen to be named after a relative, would you?"

Tom looked pensive. "Well, my Nana used to talk about her cousin Tom- I think he's who I was named after. He was killed when she was a kid- no one talks about it much." She nodded.

"I see. Severus, I expect you to return Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy to the school by 5 pm." Severus nodded at the headmistress, and she turned and walked back to the witch she was talking to earlier.

Harry expelled a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "I'd forgotten that other people might recognize you." Tom smiled.

"It's a good thing that I did, then. You are looking at Tom David Mollrore, the muggleborn great nephew of a certain Dark Lord." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"So, why Mollrore?" Tom smiled at the teen.

"Anagrams, Harry, Anagrams. I've had the same name for the last 70 years or so, it's kind of grown on me." Draco looked at the exchange, confused. "I'll explain it later- when we aren't in the middle of a crowded pub." Draco nodded. "Not to change the subject, but Harry, be ready to be called into her office tomorrow morning."

"You mean-?" Tom nodded.

"What's going on?" Draco again looked confused.

"You'll see."

------

The next morning, Harry was indeed called into McGonagall's office.

"Harry, we've found your uncle." Harry looked up at the headmistress.

"Is he...?"

"He's alive. He's unconscious and in the hospital. Your aunt and cousin are there now." He nodded.

"Unlike the rest of your family, he appears to have been... tortured. He was somewhat mutilated."

"Mutilated?"

"He was-" Minerva paused, taking a deep breath. "-castrated. He was found in London, tied to a lamp pole, in a state of undress." She swallowed hard.

Harry nodded. "But.. I mean, he's alive, right? He lived."

"Yes, Mr. Potter, he's alive. Right now, though, I'm more worried that there is still someone out there who would do this. It seems like there is still at least one Death Eater out there."

Harry took a deep breath. "I- I see. Thank you, Ma'am." He stood up, and started toward the door.

"Harry, I know you're tired of hearing this, but be careful." Harry nodded, and walked out of the office.

------

"Alright, Tom, she thinks that there's another Death Eater still out there- looks like I owe you a sickle." Tom nodded.

"Well, of course, love. Luckily, there is. Or, at least there will be once I finish marking him." Tom inclined his head toward a man shackled to the wall. It was one of the Azkaban escapees- Tom had immediately had one locked away as soon as possible, just in case.

"Can you hurry up, then? I want to get to bed." Tom chuckled at his young lover and went to work. Soon, the man bore the Dark Mark on his forearm. An _imperio_ had the man walk into the nearby town, cast _morsmordre,_ and pass out.

"You ready, love?" Harry nodded, and let the older man lead him to the bedroom.

------

"Tom-" Tom looked at the younger wizard standing a few feet away from him.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I love you." Tom smiled, and quickly closed the distance between them. Pulling the teen close with one hand, he used the other to tilt his lover's head.

"I know, Harry. I love you too." He leaned down and brushed Harry's lips lightly with his own. Emerald eyes met pale blue, and then he leaned back down to kiss Harry more firmly. His hands dropped to the hem of the boy's teeshirt, and started working their way underneath. Harry, in turn, reached for the buttons of Tom's robes. Tom stopped for a moment to bat Harry's hands away. "Let me do this tonight." The boy nodded, and placed his hands on Tom's hips.

Tom grasped the hem of the teeshirt and began to pull it up. Harry dutifully lifted his arms, allowing the older man to peel it off. Dropping the shirt on the floor, Tom started running his hands along his young lover's skin. He paused to tweak a nipple, earning a moan from the boy. :Beautiful: he hissed.

He picked up Harry, who immediately wrapped his legs around Tom's waist, and walked over to the bed, where he laid the teen down carefully. He began kissing the boy's neck, nipping at the delicate skin lightly. Meanwhile, his hand moved down to the fly of Harry's jeans. Quickly, he undid them, pulling them down to reveal- nothing but bare skin. Tom moaned- the thought of Harry wandering around with no pants all day was almost too much to bear. He quickly undid his own robes and pulled them off.

:Merlin, Harry, do you know what you do to me?: Harry swallowed thickly. Tom began kissing his chest, worrying one of his nipples with his teeth as he rolled the other between his fingers. Harry's moans were like music to the older man.

:Oh, god, Tom.: Harry cried out as Tom trailed his hand lower to encircle the teen's hardness. Tom began kissing down lower. Reaching the boy's member, he blew on it lightly. :Tom, please.: Tom smirked, and began teasing the boy with his tongue. :Oh, fuck!:

"I plan to." Tom said, mouth still on Harry. The vibrations sent shivers through the boy's body. Tom quickly pulled off his boxer shorts, still focusing intently on the writhing body on the bed. Pulling away, he moved up to give the boy a deep kiss. Reaching over to the table beside the bed, he grabbed a vial of viscous blue fluid. Harry thought he recognized it from somewhere.

Tom opened the vial, and poured a small amount of the fluid onto his hand. He leaned over and started whispering into Harry's ear.

:I think you'll like this, love.: Harry moaned as he felt a finger against him. Whatever that was, it felt good- warm, and slightly tingly. Tom quickly prepared Harry, and then positioned himself and slowly pressed in.

Harry keened. He didn't remember anything every feeling this good before. As Tom slowly moved, he kept hissing.

:Merlin, Harry, You feel so good around me. So warm, so tight..: The older man gradually began thrusting harder and faster, making sure to angle his strokes to hit Harry's prostrate, destroying any rational thoughts that entered the boy's mind. With a keening cry, the teen came, clenching down on the man inside him and forcing him over the edge.

The two laid there for what felt like an eternity before Harry felt like he could speak again. "What- what was that?"

Tom shifted and grinned at his young lover. "It's a special potion- it increases sensations. You liked it?" Harry nodded, and yawned. Tom rolled off of him and pulled out his wand, cleaning them both off.

"That was absolutely brilliant." Tom chuckled.

"Indeed." He wrapped his arms around the boy. Harry smiled. They'd have to do that again- although, there was no rush- after all, they had all the time in the world.

------

And that's it! There's still going to be an epilogue, though.

Um, notes- the blue potion was from Christmas. Other than that, I think it's pretty self-explanatory.


	14. 14: Epilogue

Disclaimer: J.K.R owns Harry Potter, not me. That's why she's making the big bucks, and I'm deciding between paying for books and buying food.

Warning: This is a **Slash** Story. That means boy/boy lovin'.

I'll reply to any and all comments in my livejournal, which is linked in my profile.

No real plot, just a bit of "where are they now". It is set on the ten-year anniversary of the fall of Dumbledore.

I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to beta this story- I'm horrible at capitalization and my punctuation could use a bit of help sometimes, and I'm not feeling up to editing it myself.

------

Epilogue

March 3rd, 2007

"Hey Harry! Over here!" Ginny waved her friend over to the table where she, Neville, and Dean were sitting and chatting. "Thought you'd never make it. Where's your husband?"

Harry grinned. "Still helping Mycaelis convince Sev to come. He might be a while." Dean snorted.

"It's still shocking- Snape in a relationship." Neville and Ginny nodded their agreement. Harry rolled his eyes.

"So, who else is coming?" Ginny started to count of on her fingers.

"Well, Draco's bringing Alodia- she's pregnant again, did he tell you?- Seamus is dropping by after work, he's bringing someone, Blaise was supposed to be here already. The twins were originally planning on showing up, but there was a problem with the newest shop, so they might not make it. I have no idea what Padfoot and Moony are up to." Harry nodded, and turned to Neville.

"So, where's the missus tonight?" Nevile shook his head.

"Luna's taking care of Frankie- He's got a bit of a cold. She told me to say hello, though."

The four friends continued to bring each other up to date on their lives. Dean (who had broken up with Seamus at the beginning of seventh year) had gone on a few dates with a muggle he had gone to primary school with. Neville and Luna's youngest, Frankie, had just started walking. Ginny had broken up with her previous boyfriend after she caught him with another woman. Harry- with the help of Rita Skeeter, who saw the benefits of staying on the man's good side- was set to become the youngest Minister of Magic in British history; this would finally allow him to fix those problems in the Wizarding world that Tom had pointed out all those years ago. They had just ordered another round of drinks when Tom arrived, with a grumpy looking Severus and the Potions Master's on-again, off-again boyfriend in tow.

Mycaelis and Severus' relationship was something of a mystery to the rest of the group. They had originally started out as research partners working to improve the Wolfsbane potion, and had somehow ended up dating. At least twice a year, they had a nasty fight and broke up, getting back together soon after. Somehow, it seemed to work for them.

Seamus was the next to show up, with a rather pretty, if ditzy, girl from work on his arm. He was followed shortly by Draco, who brought his wife, who was nice but painfully shy. Blaise finally showed up almost an hour after Harry arrived, apologizing- his latest stepfather was in the hospital.

"It seems he has a bit of a food allergy or something- he passed out only minutes after finishing his soup. Poor mum, she's heartbroken." The rest of the group snickered. After eleven husbands, it would seem wise to avoid the woman, yet men were still lining up to marry her.

Sirius and Remus showed up not long after. The two had finally gotten married about a year and a half after Harry had graduated. Sirius immediately began squabbling with Severus, much to the amusement of everyone save their partners. It was only after both men were threatened with a sex ban that they stopped.

They spent the rest of the evening chatting and gossiping about their former acquaintances. Severus mentioned that Professor McGonagall appeared to be interested in the new Transfiguration professor- a man who was some forty years younger than herself. Bill and Fleur were trying to have another child- their third. Charlie and Miro were planning on adopting in the not too distant future, a prospect that had Molly's eyes gleaming.

Ginny also had news about the youngest of her brothers. While Hermione had chosen to return to the Muggle world after being released from Azkaban, Ron had come back to live with his family. He was set to take Argus Filch's position as Caretaker of Hogwarts castle, as the elder man was retiring at the end of the school year. Both of Harry's year mates had been truly repentant, as at the time they had both honestly believed that Albus had been acting in the best interests of the whole world.

It was almost midnight when people finally started to leave. After lots of hugs and promises to get together again soon, Harry and Tom flooed back to the couple's home. Agreeing that all of the homes already in their possession had far to many bad memories associated with them, the two had bought a house in Northumberland just after Harry had finished school.

Harry climbed into his side of the bed, sighing. It was hard to believe it had been ten years since Dumbledore had been killed. Tom climbed in beside him, and wrapped his arms around the Gryffindor.

"It feels like it was only yesterday..." Harry trailed off. Tom shifted so that he could press a kiss against his husband's forehead.

"I know, love. Sometimes I forget that he's gone..." Tom snuggled up, burying his face in the other man's neck.

"We did do the right thing, right?" Harry sounded worried. Tom sighed- Harry had done this every year.

"Yes love, we did. That man can't hurt anyone else." Harry smiled.

"I thought so." He yawned. "I love you, Tom."

"I love you too, Harry." Tom lay there for a while, just holding his husband. It didn't take long for the man's breathing to even out as he fell into a deep sleep. Tom moved slightly to press a light kiss against the sleeping man's lips before laying his head down on the pillow.

Harry was dreaming about that final battle. As that final curse flew out of his wand toward Wormtail, he could have sworn he heard his husband's voice.

"_I love you, Harry, forever..._"

------

And it's done! This last bit was incredibly hard to write- I hate ending stories :( I really suck at it, because I always have to force it, while everything else seems to flow. This is my third attempt at writing this, and I'm still not happy with it. I'm just too frustrated to look at it anymore.

I'm planning on writing an alternate ending for this- a PWP where Harry and Tom say fuck it all and find that tropical paradise.

Again, if anyone is interested in beta'ing this story, I would be forever grateful.


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